A University City man who illegally sold firearms and heroin was sentenced Friday, Aug. 17 to 46 months in federal prison. 
     Paul Joseph Holdy, 42, pleaded guilty a year ago to distributing black tar heroin, being a felon in possession of firearms, and illegally selling guns without a license.
     U.S. District Court Judge Janis Sammartino imposed the 3 year, 10 month term that was requested by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton. She also signed a forfeiture order that relinquishes any ownership to the 19 weapons he had and a 2008 Suzuki motorcycle, which the prosecutor said was used in the crime.
      The seized weapons included seven pistols, machine guns, shotguns, silencers, and rifles along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. No serial numbers or manufacturer’s markings were found on 18 of the weapons. One Glock pistol had out of state markings.
     “Prosecuting people who traffic in firearms and drugs is a high priority,” said Sutton afterwards. “We’ll continue to prosecute cases like this in the future.”
      There were six controlled purchases by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms with assistance from the FBI from June 23, 2016 to April 6, 2017. Some of them were from his home on Angell Place and others were in public places. One undercover informant was sold both heroin and a silencer, according to court documents.
      “Targeting people involved in illegal guns and trafficking his a high priority for the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District,” said Sutton.
       Holdy has been incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center since May, 2017, and will get credit for that time against his sentence, said Sutton. 
       His attorney, Merle Schneidewind, asked for a 37-month sentence.  He submitted a prison document showing that Holdy has attended all of his Alcoholics Anonymous meetings while in custody.
       Holdy was convicted in 2009 in San Diego Superior Court for selling a controlled substance. In his current case, Holdy sold one ounce of heroin to an undercover agent for $1,000, according to court documents.
       During one sale, Holdy described one machine gun as “fun to shoot and works really well.” Holdy told an undercover agent that it takes him longer to manufacture machine guns because necessary parts are not easily available.
        An undercover agent paid Holdy $6,600 for three firearms in one sale and another agent paid $3,700 for silencers and firearms in another sale.