Ordering Silencers Delivers Federal Prison Sentence

DENVER - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ronald Allen Grace Jr., age 54, of Arvada, was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison for possessing an unregistered silencer.

According to the plea agreement, federal law enforcement intercepted two packages containing firearm sound suppressors, commonly known as silencers, which had been shipped from China and bound for the defendant's address. Federal agents investigated the defendant and learned that he had previously been convicted of two felony offenses and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or silencer.

Federal agents obtained a search warrant for the defendant's home, where they recovered 15 firearms and 14 firearm suppressors. Under federal law, it is illegal to possess silencers which are not properly registered as required by the National Firearms Act. None of the defendant's firearm suppressors had been registered as required under the National Firearms Act. Further investigation revealed that the silencers had been ordered from a Chinese website known to sell silencers and illegally ship them to addresses in the United States.

'Silencers are often used to facilitate crimes, which is why federal law requires that they be registered,' said Acting United States Attorney Matt Kirsch. 'We will continue to protect public safety by seeking stiff penalties for people breaking federal firearms laws.'

'HSI will continue to bring our investigative capabilities to those who illegally obtain weapons and weapons' silencers,' said Steven Cagen, special agent in charge, HSI Denver. 'This sentence holds Grace accountable for his crimes and serves as a warning that HSI along with our law enforcement partners will work diligently to keep weapons out of the hands of convicted felons.'

'Many things are available for home delivery, suppressors are not one of them,' said ATF Special Agent in Charge David Booth. 'ATF is proud to work with our Federal partners to keep communities safe and keep firearms out of the hands of prohibited persons.'

United States District Court Judge Phillip Brimmer sentenced Grace on September 3, 2021.

The investigation was conducted jointly by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the Violent Crimes and Immigration Enforcement Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. PSN is part of the Department's renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney's Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

CASE NUMBER: 20-cr-00199-PAB

# # #

Visit our website http://www.justice.gov/usao/co | Follow us on Twitter @DCoNews

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.