Illegal Alien and Convicted Felon Charged with Firearms Offenses

NASHVILLE -Juan Alvarado-Garcia, 29, of Madison, Tennessee, has been charged by criminal complaint with unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and Samuel Hernandez, 32, of Madison, Tennessee, has been charged by criminal complaint with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Braden H. Boucek.

"Nothing is more important to this office than the safety of the public. Loaded guns in stolen vehicles are a dangerous mix. This community can always count on this office's swift action to defend it," said United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek.

According to court documents, on January 4, 2026, a license plate reader system alerted the Goodlettsville Police Department ("GPD") of a stolen vehicle in their jurisdiction. GPD officers responded to the area of 500 Windsor Green Boulevard and found the stolen vehicle parked. When the officers approached the vehicle, they encountered Alvarado in the driver's seat and Hernandez in the passenger seat. Alvarado and Hernandez were arrested for the theft of the vehicle. During the arrest, Hernandez claimed his name was Saul Lopez.

After the arrest, GPD officers inventoried the stolen vehicle and found a backpack on the passenger's seat that contained approximately 60 grams of a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, a drug smoking pipe, and a loaded Beretta 9mm pistol. A further search revealed a loaded Taurus .38 caliber pistol under the driver's seat, a loaded Colt .357 pistol under the passenger's seat, a digital scale under the radio area, another drug smoking pipe, and clear plastic baggies inside the cab. Alvarado told officers the items in the vehicle belonged to Hernandez and Hernandez told them that the items belonged to Alvarado.

Alvarado is a citizen of El Salvador without lawful status or permission to remain in the United States. Before these events, Hernandez was previously convicted of theft of property between $2,500 and $10,000 in Robertson County, Tennessee. He was on probation for this felony offense when he was arrested on January 4, 2026.

If convicted, Alvarado and Hernandez each face up to 15 years in federal prison.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Goodlettsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Herbert Bunton is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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