SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for trafficking firearms, according to a Department of Justice news release.
Joel Martinez, 26, was identified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as a frequent seller of stolen firearms in multiple online chat groups, court documents state.
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His interactions with authorities began in January 2024, when he posted two pistols for sale and arranged to meet a buyer, an undercover ATF agent, in San Antonio.
Martinez told the undercover agent he didn’t own a car, but he told the buyer his mother would drive to the meeting. According to investigators, Martinez’s mother, Margarita Hernandez Martinez, is also listed as a co-defendant.
In February, the same undercover agent arranged to buy a .308 caliber rifle from Martinez for $1,100, the DOJ said.
Martinez arrived at the meeting, unloaded a rifle case and completed the sale, authorities said.
Later that same day, Martinez asked the undercover agent if they were interested in purchasing more weapons. The agent replied that they were particularly looking for “stolen” firearms.
“I got you,” Martinez responded, adding that he could provide stolen or crime-used AR-style rifles and pistols, according to a DOJ news release.
Over the following weeks, the agent met with Martinez — each time driven by Hernandez Martinez — for three additional firearms purchases between March 5, 2024, and April 11, 2024.
Martinez’s mother, Margarita Hernandez Martinez, was also sentenced in April to 40 months in prison for aiding and abetting her son’s crimes.
