A Laredo man, Ricardo Estevis Jr., has admitted to selling a firearm to a felon and illegally manufacturing firearms without the necessary license. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Estevis, who was the operating officer of Rick’s Armory LLC in Laredo, was found to have violated several federal laws. On February 15, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home and business, uncovering at least 13 firearms that were illegally manufactured and incompatible with his dealer-only federal firearms license.
Following his arrest, Estevis surrendered his federal firearms license for the business and agreed to cease acquiring firearms inventory or transferring firearms to the public as of April 24.
Hamdani stated, “Estevis abused the privilege of a federal firearm license by intentionally selling a pistol to a five-time convicted felon and by making illegal firearms and lying about it. He pursued financial profits over the safety of our citizens."
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña will determine Estevis's sentencing at a later date. He faces up to 15 years for selling the pistol, along with a potential fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with support from multiple agencies including the FBI and Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Homero Ramirez is prosecuting the case under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaborative efforts among various stakeholders.