ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) – Seven men were charged Monday with alleged involvement in a central Florida gun trafficking business, according to the Department of Justice.
The following individuals were charged with conspiracy to traffic guns and being traded, assisted and betrated in unlicensed guns.
Victor Manuel Lafontaine Ruiz, 31 (added machine gun charge) Josée Manuel Maldona Dorodriguez, 32, Kissimmee (hard of machine gun charge) Delic Yamil Rivera Robles, 29, Kissimmee (owned of machine gun charge) Kissimmee Freddie Giovani Cruz Batis of Jomar, 36 Manuel Lopez Montanez, 30, of Kissimmee (30) (added felon of possession) Leonardo David Joseph Guerra, 23, 23, Orlando (added) .
Jincheng Shi, 27, of St. Cloud, faces charges of unlicensed gun trade, support, betrayal and alien charges. Shi was charged separately with complaints in the same conspiracy.
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Since September 2023, DOJ said Lafontaine and Maldonaldo operate human trafficking rings that include hundreds of firearms, machine guns, machine gun conversion devices and magazines, completely for automatic weapons. The pair got guns from Shi, a Chinese citizen, and used the “Ghost Gunner” machine from Maldonado’s Kissimmee Home to assemble and modify semi-automatic and automatic firearms.
The pair, along with Batis, sold these firearms and conversion devices to illegal aliens and convicted felons. Lopez Montanes, Rivera Robles and Joseph Guerra were intermediary in transactions from additional customers.
On February 7, 2025, LaFontaine sold two firearms that were mistakenly branded as legal guns made with fake serial numbers engraved on Lopez Montenes. Officials said the next day that LaFontaine gave him five more firearms of these types.
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February 20th, FBI and Alcohol Bureau, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will assemble, modify and manufacture five AR-style pistols, at least three machine gun conversion devices, and guns at home in Maldonado The machine used for seized.
At the LaFontaine home, officials seized drug distribution tools packaged for blenders and selling rifles, gun parts, gun manufacturing and correction equipment, as well as drug distribution tools.
Batiz’s Home recovered handguns, AR pistols, four machine gun conversion devices, drug equipment and powder packaged for distribution.
Authorities also seized eight handguns, eight AR-style receivers and three rifles from Shi’s home and storage lockers.
If convicted, these individuals face maximum penalties in federal prisons ranging from 20 to 35 years.
