News  Revere Man Convicted, Sentenced to State Prison for Illegal Gun Exchange

Woburn — A Revere man had been convicted by a jury and sentenced to state prison in connection with an illegal transfer of a handgun, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Paul Collins, 65, of Revere, was convicted last week after a five-day jury trial in Middlesex Superior Court on charges of Trafficking in Firearms (one count). Judge Michael Ricciuti sentenced him on Wednesday to two and a half to three and a half years in state prison.

Collins was an Associate Probation Officer assigned to the Framingham District Court for eight years. In May 2016, while not having either a valid Firearm Identification (FID) card or a License to Carry (LTC), Collins gave Andrea Fazio, of Framingham, his loaded Berretta .25 caliber handgun. Fazio allegedly then gave that handgun to another associate, Carlos Santos, of Framingham.

In May 2016, Santos was arrested by the Framingham Police Department, who found on Santos a number of drugs and the loaded handgun owned by Collins. Santos also did not have an FID or LTC. Collins, Fazio, and Santos were later indicted by a Statewide Grand Jury in 2017.

Andrea Fazio’s case is pending before the Middlesex Superior Court. Santos pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months in the House of Correction in November.

This case was referred to the AG’s Office by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Joshua Pakstis and Ed Beagan of AG Healey’s White Collar and Public Integrity Division, with assistance from Victim Advocate Amber Anderson, the Framingham Police Department, and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office.