KC Man Sentenced After Selling Four AR-15s, Marijuana to Undercover Officer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who sold four AR-15 style rifles and marijuana to an undercover law enforcement officer was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Paul N. Ortiz, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 20, 2021, Ortiz pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ortiz admitted that he sold a Palmetto PA-15 Multi Rifle and marijuana to an undercover police detective for $1,300 on April 9, 2018. The rifle had previously been reported stolen.
Ortiz also admitted that he sold three other AR-15 style rifles to the undercover detective on separate occasions, as well as marijuana on several occasions. Ortiz sold a Romak-Romarm/Cugir Mini Draco 7.62x39mm for $1,000 on Feb. 15, 2018. Ortiz sold a Romarm/Cugir Mini Draco 7.62x39mm rifle and 47.4 grams of marijuana for $1,400 on April 3,2018. Ortiz sold an Armalite AR-style rifle and 60.4 grams of marijuana for $1,500 on May 17, 2018.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Ortiz has a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
