By Morgan Rousseau
A Holyoke man is accused of stockpiling several unregistered guns and conversion devices that can cause a firearm to work like a machine gun.
Daniel Augusto, 56, was arrested Friday after a federal grand jury in Springfield indicted him on one count of unlawful possession of machine guns, six counts of unlawful possession of unregistered firearms and one count of making false statements to the FBI, according to United States Attorney Rachael Rollins’s office.
The Feb. 23, 2022, indictment alleges that Augusto unlawfully possessed multiple unregistered firearms, magazines and silencers, including more than 40 conversion devices and forced reset triggers that are classified as machine guns under federal law.
“Guns are deadly weapons. There are strict requirements regarding licensing for and registering of firearms,” Rollins said in a press release. “The illegal possession of firearms and, moreover, machine guns, greatly threaten the safety of our communities. Gun laws are in place for a reason. The conduct alleged here is very serious. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute individuals who try to bring deadly weapons into our communities.”
Prosecutors say Augusto lied to federal agents when he said that all of the firearms at his home belonged to his son and his girlfriend and that he never asked the pair to buy the weapons.
The charges carry a maximum of up to 75 years in prison, up to $2 million in fines, and the forfeiture of illegally possessed firearms.
“The unlawful possession of unregistered machine guns is a federal crime that ATF takes very seriously as it threatens the safety of our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division. “ATF has had a long and productive relationship with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in combating violent crime and stopping the unlawful possession of firearms that are not legally registered.”
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