A Winter Garden man has been sentenced to more than four years in prison after stealing firearms from a licensee's business, in an incident that seems straight out of an action movie, minus the glamour and without any sign of a heroic happy ending. Edward Camacho, 20, faced the closure of his case when Senior U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. handed down a sentence of four years and three months, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.
According to the details of his plea agreement, on the night of August 18, 2023, Camacho busted into a federal firearms licensee’s establishment by reversing a vehicle through the front door. After making his way into the business by smashing the door and wall, Camacho smashed the company's front door and wall. He proceeded to shatter a glass case containing firearms and made away with six guns. Camacho, however, didn't enjoy his stolen goods for long as the law captured him within two hours after a foot pursuit – during which he tossed away three of the stolen firearms.
Camacho's capture led to his guilty plea on September 17, 2024. The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed that two of the discarded firearms were confirmed to be from the heist. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alongside the Winter Park Police Department, all too aware of the risks such firearms could pose were they not recovered.
This case unfolds under the greater canopy of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program designed to reduce violence and promote safer neighborhoods.
