A Central Florida man pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking.
24-year-old Fernando Munguia, Jr., of Leesburg in Lake County, pleaded guilty to nine counts of making a materially false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and nine counts of causing a federal firearm licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in its official records.
Munguia faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each false statement count and up to five years’ imprisonment for each count of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. As part of his plea, Munguia has agreed to forfeit the nine firearms related to these offenses.
According to court records, between January 1 and December 31, 2023, Munguia illegally straw-purchased multiple firearms. During the purchases, Munguia indicated on the mandatory background paperwork that he was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms. Those statements were false since Munguia was being paid to purchase the firearms on behalf of someone else.
Nine of the firearms purchased by Munguia, along with other guns, subsequently were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on May 27, 2023, when another individual attempted to transport them from Eagle Pass, Texas across the United States’ border and into Mexico. Authorities intercepted Munguia’s firearms less than a month after he had purchased them.
A subsequent records check by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives showed that between January and November 2023, Munguia had purchased 44 firearms for a total of $23,334.25, an amount representing approximately two-thirds of his reported annual income. The records also showed that his purchases frequently involved multiple, identical firearms of the same model and caliber.
This Central Florida case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Custom and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make local neighborhoods safer for everyone.
