Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Charge

PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national, living unlawfully in the United States, pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to unlawful possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.

Luis Alberto De Los Santos, 23, pleaded guilty on February 5, 2026, to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He will be sentenced on April 27, 2026, and faces possible deportation. The sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

According to information presented to the court, De Los Santos is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the country on a travel visa in 2021 and was required to depart the U.S. in 2022.

On April 25, 2025, Providence Police observed De Los Santos with a group of individuals in the Hartford neighborhood. De Los Santos, who was wearing a ski mask, fled from police with the firearm, before discarding the weapon behind a building and continuing to flee. Through their investigation, law enforcement discovered the defendant had been in possession of a .22 caliber pistol.