Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CONCORD- Aaron Sperow, 27, of Nashua, was sentenced on Thursday to 102 months in prison for assaulting and robbing an individual who was seeking to purchase firearms, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 21, 2017, the defendant and two co-defendants participated in the assault and robbery at gunpoint of a person who was assisting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The defendant and his co-defendants arranged for the victim to come to a residence in Nashua on the pretext that they would be illegally selling firearms to the victim.  They then assaulted and robbed the victim of the money intended to buy the firearms.  Because the victim was assisting federal agents, the victim had been equipped with audio and video surveillance equipment that recorded the robbery and assault.  Soon after the crime occurred, the defendant and co-defendants were arrested.  They each had some of the money that had been taken from the victim. 

Sperow pleaded guilty on August 20, 2018, to conspiracy, robbery, assault, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

Co-defendant Raymond Perez was sentenced to 51 months. The third co-defendant, Anthony Farmer, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

“The criminal use of firearms threatens the safety of our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This violent crime demonstrates the importance of keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. Through Project Safe Neighborhoods, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to stop gun violence and protect the citizens of the Granite State.”

"Keeping firearms out of the hands of convicted felons is ATF's top priority," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kelly Brady.  "This is a public safety and law enforcement safety issue that ATF is 100 percent committed to.  ATF will continue to aggressively pursue these investigations and work with our law enforcement partners to remove violent criminals from our communities."

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Nashua Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Dronzek.

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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