BOSTON — A federal firearms trafficking case rooted in a series of undercover operations in Pepperell moved closer to a resolution, as the Nashua, N.H., man at the center of the investigation admitted to the charge in federal court on Tuesday.
Dennis Michaud, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in firearms, according to U.S. Attorney Leah Foley’s Office. Prosecutors said Michaud sold nine firearms — including two semiautomatic rifles — along with magazines and ammunition during four controlled purchases in Pepperell between February and March.
Michaud is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28. The charge of trafficking in firearms without a license carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Michaud was arrested in March after the final transaction, which investigators said capped more than a month of coordinated undercover work involving federal agents and multiple police departments, including the Pepperell and Nashua Police.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court states that Michaud first came to the attention of law enforcement last February as a suspected unlicensed firearms dealer. Undercover agents contacted him through the social media app Snapchat, where Michaud allegedly said he could bring firearms from New Hampshire into Massachusetts for sale.
On Feb. 11, 2025, Michaud met with a confidential informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Pepperell and sold a Good Time Outdoors CXV Core 15 .223/5.56 semiautomatic rifle and a 30-round magazine for $900.
A week later, on Feb. 18, he returned to Pepperell and sold three more firearms — including a Taurus Raging Hunter .454 Casull revolver, a Rossi Interarms M68 .38 Special revolver, and a Walther PPS 9 mm pistol — along with ammunition and accessories for $2,100.
The investigation continued on Feb. 27, when Michaud sold a Radical Firearms RF-15 .223/5.56 short-barreled rifle and a Sig Sauer P227 Equinox .45-caliber pistol.
According to prosecutors, Michaud warned the informant that possessing the short-barreled rifle, equipped with a stock and 30-round magazine, would amount to “three felonies.”
The final sale occurred on March 20, 2025, again in Pepperell. Michaud provided a Century Arms 7.62x39mm AK-style rifle, a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm pistol, and a Taurus PT-22 pistol, along with magazines and ammunition, in exchange for $2,250. He was taken into custody immediately afterward.
Foley’s office said Michaud did not have a federal firearms license at any point during the transactions.
Attorneys Kensley Barrett and Stefanie Murphy, who represent Michaud, were not immediately available for comment.
According to the criminal complaint, the confidential informant involved in the investigation has a criminal history that includes convictions for breaking and entering, knowingly receiving stolen motor vehicles and marijuana possession. The informant has participated in controlled firearms and narcotics purchases in previous investigations.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
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