Silva pleaded guilty to violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(o) and 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2) for illegal possession of a machinegun, with the offense ending on Aug. 17, 2024. The defendant faced additional charges in Cherokee County Court at Law in Jacksonville, Texas, with Judge Kernodle ordering Silva's federal sentence to run concurrently with any state sentences that may be imposed in those pending cases.
In his sentencing order, Judge Kernodle recommended that Silva receive drug treatment while incarcerated and be designated to Texarkana Federal Correctional Institution if eligible to facilitate family visits. The court imposed standard supervised release conditions including drug testing, DNA collection, and a prohibition on possessing firearms or dangerous weapons.
Silva entered his guilty plea to Count 1 of the federal indictment, avoiding a trial on the machinegun possession charges. The case proceeded through the Eastern District of Texas Tyler Division, with Silva represented by defense attorney Kenneth Robert Hawk throughout the proceedings.
Upon release, Silva must complete three years of supervised release with special conditions including substance abuse treatment, obtaining a high school equivalency certificate, and providing financial information to probation officers. He must also pay a $100 special assessment immediately and faces additional restrictions on travel and association with known felons.