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KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A Keene man awaiting trial on human trafficking charges in Cheshire County has pleaded guilty in a separate federal firearms case.
Christian Torruellas, 33, admitted in U.S. District Court in Concord to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. U.S. District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe has scheduled sentencing for Oct. 14.
Federal prosecutors said Torruellas has multiple felony convictions, including two previous federal convictions for unlawfully possessing firearms. The current charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release, although the final sentence will be determined by the court under federal sentencing guidelines.
According to prosecutors, the case stems from an undercover operation on Oct. 16, 2024. A confidential informant working with law enforcement arranged to purchase a .38-caliber Taurus revolver and ammunition from Torruellas for $1,700 at his Keene home. During the meeting, authorities said Torruellas displayed several additional firearms and offered to sell the informant a .22-caliber Ruger pistol and ammunition for $2,300.
The informant then left the residence to obtain additional money from law enforcement before returning to complete the second purchase, at which point authorities arrested Torruellas. Prosecutors said Torruellas was on federal supervised release from a previous firearms conviction when the transactions occurred.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.
The federal case is separate from criminal charges Torruellas is currently facing in Cheshire County Superior Court. In that case, he is charged with human trafficking, kidnapping and related offenses stemming from allegations that he held a woman against her will and subjected her to abuse at a Keene residence while exploiting her for commercial sex. Torruellas has pleaded not guilty to those charges, and that case remains pending.