The Berks County District Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with federal and local law enforcement partners, announced the arrest of Ian Diaz-Reales, a 27-year-old resident of Reading, Pennsylvania, on charges related to illegal firearms trafficking and drug smuggling.
In November 2024, Detectives from the Berks County Gun Violence Reduction Task Force, along with Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), received information and examined records related to the purchase of firearms made by Ian Diaz-Reales. Included in the information received were reports of previous seizures of handguns by law enforcement, which were linked to crimes committed by individuals other than Diaz-Reales.
Detectives and agents cross-referenced the purchases of handguns made by Diaz-Reales with the firearms seized by law enforcement and observed the link between those investigations, some of which were closed cases, and Diaz-Reales. Based on their review, follow-up investigation, and the Detectives’ and Agents’ experience and expertise, this pattern of behavior was determined to be consistent with “straw” purchasing or the illegal transfer of firearms.
According to the investigation, Diaz-Reales purchased at least eight handguns between March 2020 and April 2023 from various licensed dealers within Berks County. Four of these firearms were later seized by law enforcement in the possession of individuals prohibited from owning handguns, each seizure linked to crimes involving illegal drugs, gang activity, and violence within weeks to months of their purchase by Diaz-Reales.
Following the investigation, on February 19, 2025, Diaz-Reales was charged by the Berks County DA’s Office with multiple felony counts stemming from the “straw” purchasing or the illegal transferof firearms. An arrest warrant was issued by District Judge Alvin Robinson but the warrant wasn’t served since Diaz-Reales whereabouts were unknown and possibly outside the United States.
On March 2, 2025, Diaz-Reales was apprehended at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York by Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and NYPD while Diaz-Reales attempted to smuggle sixty-seven (67) pounds of marijuana onto an outbound flight. Ian Diaz-Reales was served with the arrest warrant issued by Berks County authorities at the time of his apprehension. While the Berks County DA’s Office is prosecuting the firearm charges, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey is prosecuting the illegal drug smuggling charges.
On March 12, 2025, Ian Diaz-Reales was extradited to Pennsylvania by the Berks County Sheriff’s Office to face firearms trafficking charges. Diaz-Reales was arraigned by District Judge Richard Drumheller and bail was set at $100.000.00.
“We will not tolerate individuals who exploit the legal firearm purchasing systems to arm criminals and fuel violence in our communities, this investigation is a good example of the recent initiative of the Berks County Gun Violence Reduction Task Force to not only focus on current acts of violence but also investigate past crimes involving firearms and determine how these handguns entered our community and how these offenders obtained these guns which were used as a tool for violence” said Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams.
“The goal is to stop and reduce this practice of otherwise legal purchasers to divert handguns to those who are ineligible to possess a gun. This arrest sends a clear message that our office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue those who threaten public safety through gun trafficking and drug smuggling.”
As in every criminal case, the fact that an arrest occurred or that a criminal complaint has been filed is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If found guilty, Diaz-Reales is subject to the The Brad Fox Law in Pennsylvania where each firearm purchased and diverted is mandated to a five year term of incarceration; thus four firearms alleged could be a sentence of twenty years of incarceration.
The Brad Fox Law was enacted in Pennsylvania in 2012 and targets “straw purchasing,” a practice where an individual with a clean record legally buys a firearm and then illegally transfers it to someone prohibited from owning one, such as a convicted felon.
