Manassas Man Indicted For Illegal Weapons Dealing, Other Firearm Offenses

MANASSAS, VA – A Prince William County man was indicted Wednesday on four weapons charges, including dealing in firearms without a license.

Miguel Mera-Ramirez of Prince William County was indicted on one count of dealing in firearms without a license, one count of possession of firearms by a prohibited person, and two counts of possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person. Mera-Ramirez is an undocumented immigrant and, therefore, not allowed to possess weapons in the United States.

According to the police affidavit in the case, agents from the Homeland Security Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives received a tip in February about a man selling weapons in the Manassas area.

The source said Mera-Ramirez was offering to repay a $7,000 debt with four rifles and a shotgun. The weapons supposedly belonged to Mera-Ramirez’s son, who had been arrested two months earlier and detained by U.S. immigration authorities.

Federal authorities directed their source to purchase weapons from Mera-Ramirez while under their surveillance. The purchase was conducted at Mera-Ramirez's Manassas residence, where he gave the source five firearms and some ammunition in a black plastic garbage bag.

Two weeks later, according to federal authorities, another surveilled purchase was undertaken, during which Mera-Ramirez sold the source four more handguns. A warrant was issued for his arrest in April, and he is listed as in custody in Alexandria as of April 22.

His trial date is pending. The indictment identifies at least 13 different firearms Mera-Ramirez will have to forfeit if found guilty.