A Chicago resident has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for unlawfully dealing firearms. Johnathan Burgos, 33, was found to have illegally sold 14 firearms and several large-capacity magazines during 2020 and 2021. The transactions were made with an individual cooperating with the FBI.
Authorities reported that some of the weapons involved included stolen handguns, a firearm with its serial number removed, and a rifle. At the time of most sales, Burgos was under parole or bond with electronic monitoring from the Illinois Department of Corrections due to prior firearm-related cases in state court.
Burgos pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal firearm charges. On August 15, 2025, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger handed down a sentence of 16 years and eight months in federal prison.
The sentencing was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“Defendant’s gun trafficking posed a severe danger to the community,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mower stated in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “He personally coordinated each sale and used coded language in phone calls and text messages to mask the illicit nature of his discussions.”
