Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CONCORD - United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today that Hector Velez, 22, formerly of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 30, 2017, Manchester Police stopped a car driven by Velez. Upon seeing what appeared to be drugs in plain view inside the car, the officers impounded the car and applied for a search warrant. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of two firearms, as well as marijuana and cocaine. Velez, as a previously convicted felon, is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.

Velez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 16, 2019.

"This case demonstrate the effectiveness of Project Safe Neighborhoods," said U.S. Attorney Murray. "Through this program, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to get guns out of the hands of criminals so we can reduce violent crime and protect the safety of the citizens of the Granite State."

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shane B. Kelbley and Anna Z. Krasinski.

The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes.

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