A Central Florida man faces up to 135 years in federal prison for firearms trafficking.
United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the arrest of Fernando Munguia, Jr., 23, of Leesburg in Lake County, on an indictment charging him with nine counts of knowingly 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.
Each materially false statement charge is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison, while each false information count is punishable by up to five years in jail. Munguia faces a maximum punishment of 135 years in federal prison.
According to court records, Munguia illegally acquired many weapons for other people in the Middle District of Florida between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. Nine of these rifles, along with additional guns, were confiscated by US Customs and Border Protection on May 27, 2023, when another individual attempted to transfer them from Eagle Pass, Texas, across the US-Mexico border. Authorities seized Munguia’s nine weapons less than a month after he bought them.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Weapons, and Explosives (ATF) discovered that between January 2023 and November 2023, Munguia acquired 44 weapons for a total of $23,334.25—over two-thirds of his estimated yearly income.
An indictment is simply a formal allegation that a person has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is assumed innocent until proven guilty.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Customs and Border Patrol are all investigating this Central Florida case. Hannah Nowalk Watson, Assistant US Attorney, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that mobilizes the Department of Justice’s full resources to combat the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from violent criminals. Operation Take Back America combines actions and resources from the department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
