Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Defendant sold five firearms while on state pretrial release for charges including possessing large capacity weapon and assault and battery
BOSTON – A former Worcester resident with known ties to the Eastside gang in Worcester was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for firearms offenses and distributing cocaine.
Juan Otero, 23, a/k/a “Nene” or “Blockz,” of Franklin, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 72 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In February 2025, Otero pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license; one count of receiving a firearm while under indictment; one count of possession of a machinegun; and one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine. Otero was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.
In late August 2023, a cooperating witness working with federal law enforcement made contact with Otero via Snapchat about purchasing cocaine from the defendant. Subsequently, Otero sold the cooperating witness a total of 14 grams of cocaine over two separate occasions, on Nov. 15, 2023 and Dec. 6, 2023. Prior to the second drug sale, on Nov. 27, 2023, Otero also sold the cooperating witness a Taurus 9 mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, ammunition and a 17- round magazine.
Then, over a 12-day period in January 2025, Otero sold four additional firearms to the cooperating witnesses: a Colt MK IV Series 80 .45 caliber pistol, ammunition and a large capacity .45 caliber magazine on Jan. 11, 2025; a Walther PPK 9mm Kurz caliber pistol, a Ruger Security Six .357 caliber revolver with a defaced serial number, ammunition and a magazine on Jan. 17, 2025; and a Glock 30S .45 caliber pistol with a machinegun conversion device attached to the back, a 40- round drum magazine and two additional magazines loaded with ammunition on Jan. 23, 2025.
In addition to the five pistols Otero sold, he offered to sell the cooperating witness additional firearms – including a different Glock pistol, a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber, a Walther .22 caliber, a different Taurus pistol and an AR-style rifle.
At the time of the offenses, Otero was on release pending trial for state firearm charges. Specifically, in 2022, Otero was indicted in Worcester Superior Court for multiple state crimes, including the unlawful possession of a large capacity weapon, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm and ammunition and attempted assault and battery.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Feld Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Paul Saucier, Chief of the Worcester Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Franklin, Mansfield and Auburn Police Departments.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.