A 24-year-old man from Los Angeles County was sentenced to a little more than 10 years in federal prison for his role in the armed robbery of a confidential informant and the operation of an unlicensed firearm dealing business, officials announced Monday.
In a U.S. Department of Justice news release, prosecutors said Salvador Lopez, a resident of Whittier, helped sell at least 15 illegal firearms, some of which were “ghost guns” lacking serial numbers, to federal agents and their informants.
At one point, the 24-year-old had also agreed to another firearms deal with a confidential federal informant, but instead of following through, he messaged a minor with instructions to rob the informant.
“The minor and his accomplices not only robbed the informant of $5,0000, btu they also robbed the informant’s personal cellphone and vehicle,” prosecutors said. “Lopez then received a cut of the robbery’s proceeds.”
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Salvador Lopez, 24, a resident of Whittier. (DOJ) -
Instagram posts and messages sent by Salvador Lopez to help facilitate illegal firearm sales. (DOJ) -
Instagram posts and messages sent by Salvador Lopez to help facilitate illegal firearm sales. (DOJ) -
Instagram posts and messages sent by Salvador Lopez to help facilitate illegal firearm sales. (DOJ)
Lopez, as well as the three other defendants in the case – Ivan Quintos, 27, of Azusa, Mark Perez, 23, and Zachary Dry, 24, both residents of Nevada – pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges in Oct. 2024.
The foursome used Instagram direct messages and public posts to coordinate and sell more than five dozen guns, including ghost guns and “Glock switches,” which can enable a semiautomatic handgun to fire fully automatic.
The men, none of whom hold federal firearms licenses, sold guns in North Hollywood, Las Vegas and elsewhere, officials added.
Quintos faces up to 15 years in federal prison and is scheduled for sentencing in April. Dry’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February, while Perez is set for sentencing in March.
Lopez’s pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and one count of armed robbery of money owned by the United States while using a dangerous weapon.
In addition to his 121-month federal prison sentence, he has been ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
“Selling firearms illegally and putting more untraceable weapons into the community shows a blatant disregard for the law and puts the safety of our citizens at great risk,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said. “This defendant’s lengthy sentence should serve as a warning to others that law enforcement will act decisively to prevent violent gun crime.”
