BOSTON — On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced that a Worcester man had been charged with assaulting a federal confidential informant during a planned firearm transaction in Worcester.
Joshua Guzman, 18, was charged with assault of a person assisting federal officers with a dangerous weapon. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester, Guzman remained in custody.
According to the charging documents, Guzman and another individual allegedly began arranging the sale of a firearm to a federal confidential informant through WhatsApp messages on Feb. 18, 2026. Guzman and the other individual then arranged to meet the informant in Worcester on Feb. 25, 2026, to complete the transaction.
At the meeting location, Guzman and the other individual allegedly entered the informant’s vehicle. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts reported that after money was exchanged for a gun, Guzman surreptitiously removed a firearm from his waistband, racked the slide back, pointed it at the informant and stated, “Gimme everything, [N-word].”
Guzman then allegedly struck the informant in the head with the firearm and snatched the gun the informant purchased from the center console before both individuals fled the vehicle.
The informant immediately notified monitoring agents who had been conducting surveillance in the area.
Guzman was seen fleeing on foot and was apprehended a short distance away after a brief pursuit, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. During the chase, a firearm fell from Guzman’s clothing and was ultimately recovered.
The second individual was located and arrested nearby after authorities established a perimeter. Investigators later recovered clothing, a cellphone and approximately $1,600 in cash, which prosecutors said was consistent with the proceeds of the robbery.
The charge of assaulting a person assisting federal officers with a dangerous weapon carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Boston Field Division, announced the charge. The Worcester Police Department and Massachusetts State Police assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
