TAMPA, Florida — A Puerto Rican man has been sentenced to over five years in federal prison for firearms-related offenses.
Esai Pastrana Cruz, a 30-year-old from Puerto Rico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington to five years and three months in federal prison for conspiring to and making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer, according to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. Pastrana Cruz pleaded guilty on February 19, 2026.
Court documents revealed that Pastrana Cruz purchased approximately 90 firearms from various federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) within the Middle District of Florida. He falsely represented himself as the actual purchaser and recipient of the firearms. At least 21 of these firearms were seized by law enforcement agencies and traced back to Pastrana Cruz’s purchases. Among the recovered firearms, two were linked to shootings, including a drive-by shooting where two individuals were struck by gunfire…