Attleboro Man Convicted of Gun Trafficking

BOSTON — An Attleboro man was convicted on firearms trafficking charges in federal court on Friday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

After a four-day jury trial, 42-year-old Richard Philippe was convicted of transporting firearms into Massachusetts from Georgia without a license and being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Between April and June 2019, Philippe bought dozens of handguns from an unlicensed straw purchaser — someone who illegally buys items for someone else — in Georgia.

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The U.S. Attorney's Office said Philippe then took the guns to a warehouse in Taunton, where he sold them for cash.

Philippe had a prior felony firearms conviction in Rhode Island, according to the office.

This means he could not legally possess firearms or ammunition, or a federal license to deal in firearms.

According to the office, a long-time Brockton drug dealer had purchased more than a dozen firearms from Philippe and had been selling them to criminals on the South Shore.

An undercover weapons deal with the unnamed Brockton man in July 2019 sparked an investigation and search of Philippe's warehouse in Taunton, which revealed his firearms trafficking activity.

Authorities traced the weapons back to multiple purchases by Philippe’s associate from a pawn shop in Georgia that specialized in selling low-cost handguns.

Philippe faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Sentencing has been scheduled for April 4, 2022.