Ocala man pleads guilty to unlawful possession of unregistered firearms
OCALA, Florida - Joshua Fries, a 30-year-old resident of Ocala, has pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of unregistered National Firearms Act weapons. Fries faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each count. According to court documents, Fries provided a confidential informant with two auto sears and a silencer, all of which he manufactured himself. During their interactions, Fries revealed his involvement with a local anti-government militia group and admitted to making silencers, auto sears, and other weapons for the group. None of these devices were registered to Fries in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, a database managed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to the United States Attorney's Office. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, and setting strategic enforcement priorities.
Call for surrender of blank firing guns after tests find them easily convertible
Owners of particular types of blank firing guns, which have become popular with criminals, have been urged to hand the firearms in to police stations after tests found they can be easily converted to fire live ammunition.The National Crime Agency (NCA) highlighted four brands of blank firing guns, originally designed to fire blank ammunition without a bullet or projectile component, which are “readily convertible” and therefore illegal under the Firearms Act 1982.The specified brands are the Turkish models of top-venting blank firers (TVBFs) Retay, Ekol, Ceonic ISSC and Blow, and the NCA said they were used in at least...
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Steroid Distribution, Unregistered Firearm Charges
Mitchell Bunkowske, 32, of Land O' Lakes, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and possession of an unregistered firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida announced today.
Florida man pleads guilty to firearm and silencer possession, faces up to 25 years in prison
FORT MYERS, Florida - Trequille Donte Rodreguez Sr., a 31-year-old from Fort Myers, has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing an unregistered firearm silencer. He faces up to 25 years in federal prison. According to court records, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department discovered a Ruger firearm and a silencer in Rodreguez's residence during a search on July 2, 2024. Both items had been reported stolen in a car burglary in Hendry County about a month earlier. Two fingerprints found on the silencer were identified as Rodreguez's. As a convicted felon with prior firearms and burglary offenses, Rodreguez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Hendry County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering trust in communities and supporting violence prevention initiatives.