A Central Florida man is facing up to 135 years in federal prison for firearms trafficking.
United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe recently announced the arrest of 23-year-old Fernando Munguia, Jr., 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 10 years in federal prison; each false information count is punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment. In total, Munguia faces a maximum penalty of up to 135 years in federal prison.
According to court records, between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, Munguia illegally straw-purchased multiple firearms in the Middle District of Florida for other individuals. Nine of these firearms, along with other guns, subsequently were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on May 27, 2023, as another individual attempted to transport them from Eagle Pass, Texas, across the United States’ border into Mexico. Authorities intercepted Munguia’s nine firearms less than a month after he purchased them…