A Margate man, Robert Zildjian Mondragon, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for making a false statement on a federal gun purchase form and for possessing a firearm as an unlawful drug user. According to CBS12, Mondragon, age 31, attempted to buy a firearm in Miami back in 2019 and claimed he was not an unlawful user of marijuana on an ATF Firearms Transaction Record.
The Department of Justice claims that Mondragon had a documented history of marijuana use that predates the attempted firearm purchase. The seriousness of the charges are intensified by court documents showing repeated threats by Mondragon to commit a mass shooting, starting as far back as 2013. These records were vital during his sentencing in Fort Lauderdale by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas, which will be followed also by three years of supervised release.
Mondragon's connection to other disturbing behaviors has also come to light. WSVN reports that he is accused of having left dead animals at the memorial for the victims of the 2018 Parkland school massacre on multiple occasions. In a case set to go to trial, Mondragon allegedly placed a dead duck, raccoon, and opossum at the memorial, activities that were discovered when officers found blood and feathers in his car. Speaking to the officers, Mondragon reportedly stated he kept a dead bird in his car because he "liked the smell," according to court documents cited by WSVN.
In addition, the Sun Sentinel post on X highlighted Mondragon's November 2021 possession of another firearm, which was discovered along with his phone containing numerous references to marijuana use. Despite a temporary risk protection order, which was issued against Mondragon following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, he continued to engage actively in actions that jeopardize the wellbeing of the community, as mentioned by authorities. This order was still active during his attempt to purchase a firearm in 2019.
Man with history of mass shooting threats lied about drug use to try to buy a gun, officials say https://t.co/meHuRwjgb8
— South Florida Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) July 13, 2024
