Guatemalan man sentenced to 18 months for firearm possession in Florida

OCALA, Florida — United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced 23-year-old Juan Dionicio Romero-Mendez, of Guatemala, to 18 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an alien illegally and unlawfully present in the United States.

Romero-Mendez entered a guilty plea on June 10, 2024. According to court documents, he was involved in a traffic collision in Marion County in January 2024. During the investigation of the collision, Romero-Mendez was found to be in possession of a Chiappa Firearms pistol. As he is not legally or lawfully in the United States, federal law prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that unites all levels of law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, to strengthen PSN based on core principles such as fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations to prevent violence, setting focused enforcement priorities, and measuring results.