Berwyn gang member gets 14 years for trafficking illegal guns

A Berwyn gang member was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking illegal guns.

Between October 2015 and April 2016, 28-year-old Miguel Martinez sold firearms illegally to a cooperating witness who didn’t have a FOID card or concealed carry license, according to the Illinois Attorney General’s office. The transactions were arranged and closely monitored by ATF agents.

The witness purchased 11 guns from Martinez and paid him a total of $10,650, prosecutors said. Martinez, a member of the Two-Two Boys gang, regularly offered guns for sale to the witness through text messages.

Some of the guns came from residential burglaries in Grundy and DuPage counties, and ballistics testing showed at least one of the guns had been used in a shooting in Cook County, prosecutors said. In addition, several guns could be traced to a Chicago Gang.

The initial purchase was made in Cook County, and the following ten purchases were made in DuPage County, prosecutors said. The witness wore a recording device, and all of the purchases were monitored by ATF agents.

“The defendant’s actions in this case perpetuated the sale of illegal guns for possible criminal activity,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said. “I am committed to continuing to work with federal, state, county and municipal agencies to find and prosecute the individuals who traffic illegal guns.”

In addition to his prison term, Martinez was also sentenced to two years supervised release, prosecutors said.