A Cedar Park man, identified as 40-year-old Andrew Darley Pennington, has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlicensed firearms dealing and providing false statements to ATF agents, in addition, the court has ordered the forfeiture of 32 firearms found in his possession.

Details disclosed in U.S. Attorney Western District of Texas reveal that Pennington was actively listing firearms for sale on a gun broker website right after their purchase where Between Dec. 2, 2021, ATF agents executed a search at his home and discovered an arsenal comprising 32 firearms along with approximately 18,430 rounds of ammunition; the search was the culmination of a seven-month period during which Pennington bought over 200 firearms.

During post-search interviews, Pennington denied shipping firearms since 2016 when questioned by an ATF agent, a claim later proven false as records showed he actually shipped firearms to California and Nevada throughout 2021. "Federal law forbids anyone who is not properly licensed from engaging in the business of dealing in firearms," emphasized U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas with respect to the severity of Pennington's offense.

The ATF, led by Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel, regards unlicensed firearms dealing as akin to firearms trafficking which not only breaches legal statutes but poses a significant threat to community safety, as noted by Weddel, "Firearms dealing without licensing is a form of firearms trafficking which is a top investigative priority for ATF," and with a determined effort the ATF and its partners are dedicated to curbing the tide of such activities that fuel violence and crime.

The ATF spearheaded the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Castillo and Alan Buie prosecuted the case against Pennington, marking a concerted effort by law enforcement to address the challenges posed by illegal firearms distribution.