Springfield man sentenced to prison for illegal ammunition possession

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Springfield man was sentenced Thursday in federal court for unlawful possession of ammunition.

Julio A. Rivera , 35, of Springfield received a sentence of 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

In March, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. Rivera’s illegal activities were extensive and involved the manufacturing and distribution of approximately 90 privately manufactured firearms, commonly known as “PMFs” or “ghost guns,” from February 2020 to July 2022.

During a search of Rivera’s residence in September 2022, authorities discovered Rivera carrying a loaded ghost gun with 10 rounds of ammunition and a magazine containing 18 rounds of ammunition. Additionally, another ghost gun, 90 rounds of ammunition, firearm parts, accessories, tools for manufacturing ghost guns, and receipts for various firearm parts and accessories were recovered from his home.

Rivera’s criminal history includes a September 2017 conviction in Westfield District Court for assault and battery and an April 2018 conviction in Springfield District Court for carrying a dangerous weapon (blunt object), both of which prohibit him from possessing firearms and ammunition.

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