BOSTON - A Holyoke man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield in connection with straw purchases of firearms.
Tyler A. Augusto, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to two years of probation, with the first four months of the sentence to be served in home confinement. In February 2023, Augusto pleaded guilty to one count of false statements to acquire firearms from a licensed dealer, one count of false statements with respect to information required to be kept in the records of a licensed firearms dealer and one count of false statements.
Between October 2020 and February 2022, Augusto conducted numerous purchases of firearms from three different federally firearms licensees on behalf of his father, who was not licensed to possess firearms. In February 2022, Augusto falsely told law enforcement that he had not purchased any firearms for his father and that his father had not asked Augusto to purchase any firearms.
As part of his plea agreement, Augusto will forfeit a Sig Sauer Model P365 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol; a Colt Model SP1.223 caliber semi-automatic rifle; a Taurus Model CT9-G2 9mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; a Glock model 17 frame; an IMI Uzi model A 9mm semi-automatic rifle; an FN model FS2000 5.56x45mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; a FN model SCAR 16S 5.56x45mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; a Sig Sauer model SIG 556 SCM 5.56x45mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; and a Glock model 21.45 caliber ACP semi-automatic pistol.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI and the Holyoke Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.