Guatemalan national Ricardo Fermin Sune-Giron, 34, has pleaded guilty to charges related to international firearms trafficking and other firearms offenses. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, led by Roger B. Handberg, reported that Sune-Giron could face up to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy and each possession offense, along with an additional 5 years for conducting firearms transactions without a proper license. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Between 2023 and April 2024, Sune-Giron was involved in a firearms trafficking network that spanned multiple countries. He recruited individuals to buy firearms illegally, including semi-automatic rifles and AK-47s, through straw purchasers from federal firearms licensees across Florida. Some of these trafficked firearms were later found at various crime scenes.
A coordinated operation took place on April 18, 2024, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, alongside Homeland Security Investigations, executed search warrants in Tampa and Orlando. At Sune-Giron's residence, law enforcement discovered over 50 firearms, ammunition, equipment for counting cash, and approximately $16,000 in U.S. currency.
Before his arrest, Sune-Giron had been living in the U.S. unlawfully using a counterfeit identity. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Noah P. Dorman are handling the prosecution.
