CONCORD – Jose Rafael Soriano, 28, of Lynn, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for aiding another in an illegal effort to purchase firearms, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray said.

According to court documents and statements made during the prosecution of the case, on July 15, 2015, Soriano, and three friends – Michael Younge, Adrian Aleman and Tasha Gardner – visited a federally licensed firearms dealer in Hooksett. Of the four, only Gardner was legally eligible to buy handguns. Soriano and Younge, with Aleman’s help, solicited Gardner to buy two handguns on their behalf. Gardner agreed to assist and attempted to purchase the two guns for Soriano and Younge. In connection with that attempt, Gardner filled out a form legally required for all intrastate over-the-counter handgun purchases, on which she falsely certified that she was the “actual purchaser” of the two handguns, when she was really attempting to buy them for Soriano and Younge. The store never transferred the firearms because its employees became suspicious and declined to complete the transaction.

All individuals involved in this crime pleaded guilty. On July 30, 2017, Younge was sentenced to serve five years in prison. On March 13, 2017, Gardner was sentenced to three years of probation. On April 7, 2017, Aleman was sentenced to two years of probation.

Soriano previously pleaded guilty on Oct. 12.

“In order to keep our communities safe, it is vital to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” Murray said. “Those who illegally possess firearms present a real danger to public safety. We will continue to be aggressive in our efforts to prevent criminals from obtaining guns and to prosecute those who illegally buy guns for criminals.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

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