Law enforcement officials announced on Monday, March 17 that a Pennsylvania man wanted in connection with illegal firearm sales was busted at John F. Kennedy Airport trying to board an outbound flight with a whopping 67 pounds of marijuana.
Ian Diaz-Reales of Reading, 27, was nabbed by police on March 2 at JFK; the suspect was already wanted on several other charges stemming from the purchase of illegal firearms that he then provided to gang members and violent criminals involved in drug trafficking, according to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office.
A warrant for Diaz-Reales was issued on February 19 after members of the Berks County Gun Violence Reduction Task Force and federal agents traced a number of seized firearms back to him, but authorities were unable to locate him until he attempted to board a flight at JFK earlier this month, at which time he was placed under arrest.
Diaz-Reales now has multiple charges pending in both Pennsylvania and New York, officials say. He was extradited from New York on March 12 and is currently being held on $100,000 bail following his arraignment.
Diaz-Reales faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison for his pending Pennsylvania weapons charges alone if convicted.