Following a lengthy investigation, a Texas resident was indicted Wednesday on numerous gun and drug-related charges after he sold more than a dozen firearms to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and accepted a large amount of methamphetamine as partial payment.
Kevin Joseph Pacacha, 53, of Corpus Christi, was the subject of an investigation since April 2013 and had even been warned before his arrest that if he wanted to deal in the business of firearms, he needed to obtain a federal firearms license in order to do so legally, the Justice Department said on May 11.
Court documents indicate Pacacha purchased numerous firearms from Academy Outdoors and Sports with the intent of resale, despite stating on ATF firearm purchasing forms at the time of purchase that he was the actual buyer of the firearms and was not acquiring them on behalf of another person.
During the investigation, the undercover agent purchased a total of 13 firearms from Pacacha from February to April 2016. Prior to the final transaction, Pacacha questioned whether the agent had the means to provide Pacacha with a large amount of methamphetamine. Pacacha and the agent agreed on the sale of four DPMS rifles and one LWRC rifle in exchange for half a pound of crystal meth and $2,000 in cash.
Following the transaction, which occurred on April 13, 2016, Pacacha was arrested for several charges, including possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, making a false statement on a firearms purchasing form and dealing firearms without a license,
“The tenacity and courage of the undercover agent in pursuing a suspect who seemed to have no regard for the ultimate destination of these guns highlights exemplary actions by ATF’s finest,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Robert Elder after Pacacha’s indictment.
After his arrest, 45 firearms were forfeited from Pacacha’s residence, as well as approximately 10,000 rounds of assorted ammunition. Authorities also seized more than $6,000 in cash and over $100,000 from numerous bank accounts shared with Pacacha’s wife, Michelle.
If convicted, Pacacha will face a minimum of 10 years in federal prison and up to a $10 million fine for the drug charges, in additional to a maximum of five years for the firearm charges.
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