The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has released an official statement regarding a Lake County resident who has pleaded guilty to gun trafficking charges.
Fernando Munguia Jr., 24, Leesburg, pleaded guilty to nine counts of making materially false statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and nine counts of causing a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in official records. Mr. Munguia faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each count of false statements and up to five years in prison for each count of causing an FFL to enter false information into public records. As part of his plea, Munguia agreed to forfeit nine firearms related to these crimes. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
According to court records, Munguia illegally purchased multiple firearms from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. At the time of the purchase, Munguia indicated on the required biographical documentation that he was the actual transferee/purchaser of the firearm. These statements were false because Mr. Munguia received payment to purchase firearms on behalf of others. Nine of the firearms Munguia purchased, along with other firearms, were later seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on May 27, 2023, when another person attempted to transport them from Eagle Pass, Texas, across the U.S. border into Mexico. Authorities seized the firearm less than a month after Munguia bought it.
A subsequent records review by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revealed that Munguia purchased 44 firearms between January and November 2023 for a total of $23,334.25. This amount is equivalent to about two-thirds of their reported annual income. Records also show that his purchases often included multiple identical guns of the same model and caliber.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Norwalk Watson is prosecuting the case.
This incident is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and their jurisdictions to reduce violent crime and gun violence and make communities safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a Violent Crime Reduction Strategy to strengthen PSN based on the following core principles: It promotes trust and legitimacy in communities, supports community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, sets focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measures results.
