LAREDO, Texas — A local armory owner is under arrest for allegedly selling a firearm to a convicted felon, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
31-year-old Ricardo Estevis Jr., of Laredo, owner of Rick’s Armory LLC, is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on April 11 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga. The arrest followed the unsealing of a criminal complaint that came to light during Estevis's application process for a federal position.
The investigation reportedly uncovered that Estevis sold a Sig P365 handgun to an individual he knew to be a felon. The charges also suggest Estevis tried to bypass proper procedures by conducting the transaction as a private sale. The buyer, according to the complaint, had five felony convictions and has been federally prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition since 2004.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation with support from the U.S. Marshals Service, Laredo Police Department, and other federal, state, and local agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez is prosecuting the case.
This case falls under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a joint federal, state, and local initiative. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a renewed effort to reduce violent crime, particularly gun violence. The program, which is two decades old, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results of these efforts. The primary goal is to reduce violent crime, not merely to increase arrests or prosecutions.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
