Opinion ID: 202855
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Ortiz's Firearms Purchases

Text: Ortiz was paid by the FBI to assist in criminal investigations. In this case, Ortiz received approximately $80,000. In the early summer of 2001, FBI Special Agent Robert Lewis asked Ortiz to keep an eye out and an ear out for criminal activity amongst Russian individuals in the Springfield area. Ortiz's inquiries of some members of the Russian community ultimately led to the criminal firearms transactions charges in this case. At various times, Ortiz represented that he had his own customers for guns. The first firearms transaction occurred in July 2001. Ortiz went to a local gun store, where he was approached by Buynovskiy. Buynovskiy asked Ortiz if he was interested in purchasing some rifles. Ortiz was interested; he consulted the FBI and then gave Buynovskiy a $200 deposit. On July 2, Buynovskiy and Zhirnov met with Ortiz in a parking lot, where Ortiz purchased two rifles and ammunition for $1,800. The source of at least one of these weapons was Teleguz. More than a year earlier, in the spring of 2000, Teleguz had purchased one of these rifles from an acquaintance in Pennsylvania. The FBI investigation was interrupted by the events of September 11, 2001, but then resumed in the spring of 2002. On April 6, 2002, Ortiz purchased two firearms from Buynovskiy and Safanov. He purchased an additional firearm from Safanov on May 20, 2002. On June 24, 2002, Ortiz and Safanov, at Safanov's suggestion, drove together to Pennsylvania to buy guns from Teleguz. The two went to Teleguz's house in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, where Ortiz purchased four firearms. The serial number on one of the four firearms had been obliterated by grinding. The two returned to Massachusetts with the firearms. On July 16, 2002, Ortiz went to Safanov's apartment in Springfield and purchased another five firearms. Serial numbers on three of these firearms had been removed. On August 25, 2002, Teleguz, who had traveled to Massachusetts, met Ortiz in a Springfield parking lot and sold Ortiz another eight firearms, six of which had their serial numbers obliterated. Teleguz asked Ortiz to send him money for the firearms by mail. The defendant gave Ortiz an envelope with his name and Pennsylvania address written on it. On August 27, 2002, Ortiz instead sent Teleguz a wire transfer for $1,500 as additional payment for the firearms purchased two days earlier. On August 30, 2002, Teleguz again met with Ortiz in Springfield. This time, defendant sold Ortiz two semi-automatic pistols with obliterated serial numbers. Ortiz paid Teleguz $1,200. On October 3, 2002, at Teleguz's direction, Ortiz met with Zhirnov in Springfield. Zhirnov sold Ortiz a firearm whose serial number had been removed. The next day, Ortiz wired $850 to Teleguz in payment for the firearm.