Mid-City man arrested after selling illegal firearms to undercover ATF agent
A Mid-City man is facing 15 years in federal prison after he illegally sold multiple firearms to an undercover federal agent.
Ellourth Eladio Simon, 32, pleaded guilty on May 25 to one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and one count of possessing a machine gun. According to the Department of Justice, Simon admitted to selling four handguns and a "ghost gun" AR-type rifle to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives for a grand total of $8,400 on Nov. 10, 2021.
This bust revealed that Simon had a partner that also participated in the illicit sale of 27 firearms. After a five-day trial, a jury found 40-year-old William Nirion Peña guilty of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Prosecutors said he provided the weapons, which included two silencers and a "Glock switch," to Simon before the 32-year-old sold it to the federal agent.
"Peña and Simon frequently coordinated efforts to sell [guns to the undercover agent] by communication over the phone about the price and availability of firearms and firearms components, and arranging the logistics of specific sales to customers during evening transaction in supermarket parking lots and similar locations," according to court documents.
Simon is supposed to be sentenced on Aug. 10. His accomplice Peña will be sentenced on Sept. 18, who faces a maximum of five years in federal prison.
