A University City man accused of illegally selling firearms and heroin will next appear in federal court on June 8.
Paul Joseph Holdy, 39, has pleaded not guilty to three charges but could face more counts after acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson said 19 firearms, including short barrel machine guns, were sold to undercover agents.
Holdy has agreed to not contest a no-bail status in the Metropolitan Correctional Center, but his attorney will be allowed to make an argument for bail later, according to court records.
Not his first run-in with the law, Holdy, convicted of selling an illegal drug in 2009, is charged with being an unlicensed dealer of firearms as a felon and cannot legally possess or sell weapons.
He is accused of possessing a firearm that has traveled across interstate commerce on Feb. 23. He is also charged with selling one ounce of black tar heroin for $1,000 on June 23, 2016, to an undercover agent or informant in a fast-food parking lot. Holdy allegedly sold a silencer to the same person who bought the heroin, according to court records. The weapon sales started on six different occasions from Feb. 23 to April 6, and some of them occurred at his home on Angell Place, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The weapons as AR-15 type short barrel rifles or machine guns, and seven Glock-style pistols. No manufacturers markings or serial numbers were found on 18 of the weapons.
Holdy told the undercover agent that it takes him longer to manufacture machine guns because necessary parts are not easily available. He described one machine gun as “fun to shoot and works really well,” according to court records.
“Illegally manufacturing and brokering the sale of guns and drugs on the streets of San Diego poses a tremendous danger to our community,” said Robinson.
“Prosecuting firearm offenses is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s office and we will continue our efforts to disrupt the availability of illegal guns in our city,” said Robinson.
Holdy faces up to 30 years in federal prison if he’s convicted. Holdy’s May 10 arrest was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the FBI.