Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Store Manager at Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer in Albany Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of Silencers
EUGENE, Ore. – On Wednesday, July 26, 2017, U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken sentenced Jose Alfredo Morales, 34, of Albany, Oregon, to 24 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Morales, who managed GNA Supplies, a Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer (FFL) in Albany, Oregon, previously pleaded guilty on May 17, 2017 to one count of unlawful possession of a silencer.
According to court documents, in November 2015, law enforcement conducted an undercover operation wherein they purchased an unregistered silencer from Morales. During the purchase, Morales stated he knew it was illegal to possess and sell unregistered silencers. On November 30, 2015, Albany Police executed a search warrant at GNA Supplies and found additional silencers not registered to Morales in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
There are approximately 1,700 federal firearms licensees in the District of Oregon actively engaged in the business of acquiring and transferring firearms. Licensees are regulated by Industry Operations Investigators of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Voluntary compliance with federal firearms regulations is critical in protecting communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations and the illegal use and trafficking of firearms.
The case was investigated by ATF and the Albany Police Department, and was prosecuted by Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, with the assistance of Michael Wynhausen, Linn County Deputy District Attorney.
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