ATLANTA — Anthony Maseda and Erik Arreola-Torres have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to convert semi-automatic firearms into machine guns and sell the fully automatic firearms out of a Clayton County residence.
Arreola-Torres fired at federal special agents and local law enforcement officers using a fully automatic machine gun when the investigators arrived at the home to execute a search warrant.
Erik Arreola-Torres, 20, of Jonesboro, was sentenced on May 7 by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg to 10 years and one month in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
He pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun and conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license on Oct. 17, 2022.
Anthony Maseda, 21, of Jonesboro, was also sentenced by Grimberg to nine years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
He pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun on Oct. 13, 2022.
“This investigation re-affirms the importance of our agency’s collaboration with our federal partners. The arrests resulting from this joint investigation with the ATF surely saved lives in Clayton County and likely in the metropolitan region. The Clayton County Police Department will continue to partner with our federal and state law enforcement agencies to reduce violent crimes in our community,” said Clayton County Police Chief Kevin Roberts.
According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court, from January through March of 2022, Maseda and Arreola-Torres conducted a firearm and machine gun trafficking operation out of a home in Jonesboro.
Maseda — a previously convicted felon and leader of the operation — illegally imported auto sear devices, also known as “switches”, from China. Possessing an auto sear…
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