Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man charged in a conspiracy to sell firearms and machine guns without a Federal Firearms License, and a conspiracy to sell Fentanyl and Xanax was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 70 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.

Nicolas Santos (22) pleaded guilty in September 2022 to one count of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of illegal possession of a machine gun.

According to court documents, on September 1, 2021, Santos conspired with co-defendants Wilfred Santos and Martin Magallon to sell firearms and machine guns without a Federal Firearms License. He sold multiple firearms including semi-automatic firearms and shotguns; AR-style personally made firearms; a stolen rifle and shotgun; and Glock switches. Additionally, on four different dates between July and August of 2021, Santos conspired to sell Fentanyl and Alprazolam (Xanax). In June 2021, he possessed a Glock switch used to modify a semi-automatic firearm to fire as a machine gun. While detained in the Henderson Detention Center, Santos attempted to obstruct the investigation when he told his girlfriend to delete evidence related to the federal charges in this case.

United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the ATF. Assistant United States Attorney Allison Reese is prosecuting the case.

If you have information about illegal firearms activity, submit a tip to ATF by calling the hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867) or through the ReportIt mobile app.