A 55-year-old Parrish man, Frank Jude Petrone, Sr., faces federal charges for trafficking firearms to a known convicted felon, a criminal complaint filed by U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg revealed. The charge comes with a penalty that could lock Petrone away for up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted.
Under scrutiny by authorities, Petrone is accused of conducting illicit sales while on the job for a licensed gun dealer. The United States Attorney’s Office detailed that between October 2024 and January 2025, Petrone sold firearms and over a hundred rounds of ammunition to an individual prohibited by federal law from obtaining them.
The transactions didn't go unnoticed, launching an investigation by both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Acting as a confidential informant, the convicted felon acquired three separate firearms from Petrone, comprised of a .357 Taurus International revolver, a 9mm Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol, and a .45 ISAS semi-automatic pistol, along with 117 rounds of ammunition. Adding fuel to the fire, Petrone even presented for sale, a machine gun that bore no serial number— an attempt that didn't shy away from audacity.
Sworn to bring peace to community streets, PSN melds the force of law enforcement and community partnerships. The strategy, bolstered since May 26, 2021, seeks to foster trust, prioritize strategic enforcement, and work closely with organizations aimed at preventing violence before it erupts. "This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results," as per United States Attorney’s Office.
