Feds charge Lorain man with illegally trafficking 16 guns from Ohio to New Jersey

A Lorain man accused of supplying a New Jersey man with 16 guns is among five people charged in federal court in New Jersey in a cocaine and firearms trafficking scheme. Timothy Rios, 32, of Lorain, was arrested in Virginia and as of June 10 was awaiting transportation to New Jersey for court hearings, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey said in a news release. Court records did not list an attorney for him. Rios is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms — 16 guns worth approximately $15,700 — that he allegedly provided to Kenny Scaley-Sandoval, a 32-year-old Guatemalan citizen living in Trenton, New Jersey. One or both of the men then allegedly resold them to confidential sources working with federal agents, according to court records. Neither Rios nor Scaley-Sandoval are federally licensed firearms dealers and Scaley-Sandoval allegedly is a cocaine dealer, according to court records. Scaley-Sandoval allegedly bragged to the confidential sources that "he has access to firearms, bulletproof shirts, bulletproof vests and grenades, and that he can obtain these items from his 'friends from Ohio'" — namely, Rios. According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, authorities used license plate reader cameras to track a black Kia Forte with Ohio license plates reportedly driven by Rios from Elyria to Trenton, New Jersey, on Aug. 29. Federal agents in Trenton then watched Rios meet with Scaley-Sandoval that night. Rios reportedly made the trip five more times: in the Kia on Sept. 7 and Oct. 26; and in one of two Acuras registered to him on Nov. 7 and Jan. 13; On Nov. 7, agents watched Rios take a Radical Arms RF-15 semi-automatic rifle out from under the hood of his Acura sedan and give it and a 9 mm KelTec pistol-carbine to a confidential source. Rios also reportedly traveled to New York City on May 1 in a black 2008 BMW registered to one of his family members. There, he allegedly gave Scaley-Sandoval three handguns that were resold to a confidential source for $3,000, according to court records. All of Rios' visits to New Jersey coincided with calls between his two cellphones and Scaley-Sandoval, according to court records. The criminal complaint said phone records put Rios at the Medina Gun Show at the Medina County Community Center on April 18. Court records didn't say if he bought or sold any guns there. Also charged with federal drug crimes were associates of Scaley-Sandoval: Kelvin Tavarez, 30, of Trenton, New Jersey; Enoc Pimentel, 39, and Andy Nazario, 44, both of Clifton, New Jersey. Scaley-Sandoval, Tavarez and Pimentel allegedly had more than 3.8 kilograms of cocaine for sale before it was seized by federal agents. Cocaine and cash were seized during a search of Nazario's attic on June 10, authorities said. Federal prosecutors said the case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Marshals Service; New Jersey State Police; the Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Prosecutor's Office; and the Mount Laurel, New Jersey, Police Department.Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.