The Sewickley man and Brazil native arrested Sunday by immigration agents made false statements on federal paperwork when he tried to buy a gun in 2024, according to a criminal complaint.
The complaint, filed in January by McCandless police, said Bruno Guedes da Silva had answered “no” to a question on a federal Firearms Transaction Record form about whether he was an alien or unlawfully in the United States.
Immigration information reviewed by McCandless police, however, indicated Guedes da Silva was “not legally in the United States and is currently under removal proceedings,” the complaint said.
Police said Guedes da Silva was trying to buy a Glock 43, a small handgun, at Midwest Shooting Center in the McCandless Crossing shopping plaza on July 2, 2024.
It wasn’t until Jan. 8, however — about 18 months later — that McCandless police said they “received” information about Guedes da Silva from Pennsylvania State Police about his background check, according to the complaint.
“Upon looking into the packet provided to this (detective) from the Pennsylvania State Police I observed that Bruno Guedes Da Silva was listed as being an ‘Illegal Alien’ which was the basis of denial,” the complaint said.
On Jan. 12, McCandless police contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and learned Guedes da Silva was in the U.S. illegally, according to the complaint.
Immigration agents pulled over Guedes da Silva, 38, and his wife on Sunday morning in Glen Osborne near Osborne Elementary School, where the couple’s 6-year-old daughter is a student.
The girl, Maria, has been undergoing cancer treatment in Pittsburgh. She returned home to her mother this week, according to Hadley Haas, a family spokeswoman.
As of Wednesday, Guedes da Silva was being held in Northern Regional Correctional Facility and Jail near Moundsville, W.Va.
Haas did not return a message Wednesday seeking comment about the arrest paperwork.
Guedes da Silva’s arrest sparked concern in the community. Sewickley Borough Council President Cynthia Mullins said 25 to 30 community members shared concerns at a workshop meeting on Tuesday night about having ICE target their residents.
Mullins said local law enforcement would not be aiding ICE investigations.
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Fox Chapel, said Monday in a statement on social media that Guedes da Silva had a valid work authorization, a Social Security number and a driver’s license.
An ICE spokesperson told TribLive on Sunday that Guedes da Silva “was previously arrested by the Border Patrol on May 1, 2022, after he illegally entered the United States and was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration.”
Mark Harley, an immigration lawyer and chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s immigration section, said Guedes da Silva’s Employment Authorization Document — a card that allows non-citizens to work legally in the U.S. for a specific period — did not necessarily mean that Guedes da Silva was in the U.S. lawfully and eligible to obtain a firearm.
While Guedes da Silva entered the U.S. under the Biden administration, Harley said many of the temporary protective statuses provided under his administration have since been removed by President Donald Trump.
It was unclear on Wednesday if Guedes da Silva had protective status and why he left Brazil.
Neither McCandless police nor state police responded to messages left by TribLive.
By Wednesday evening, a GoFundMe for Guedes da Silva’s family had raised more than $97,000.
