A Guatemalan man, living under a false identity in the United States, was hit with a 14-year federal prison sentence on Thursday for his role in an extensive gun trafficking ring. Ricardo Fermin Sune-Giron, 34, faced U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington and received the sentence after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to traffic in firearms and possessing firearms as an illegal alien. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida reported that the court also mandated the forfeiture of all firearms and ammunition taken from his residence.
Sune-Giron's guilty plea, submitted on December 11, 2024, outlined his involvement in an illicit scheme that spanned from 2023 until April 2024. Court documents revealed that he conspired with others, in recruiting 'straw purchasers,' who would then illegally acquire firearms from licensed dealers within Florida. These purchases included an array of weapons like Glocks, rifles, and AK-47s, which were subsequently smuggled to various countries, including the Dominican Republic and Haiti, as well as getting, caught in crime scenes abroad.
Law enforcement's disruption of this criminal operation came to fruition with the execution of three coordinated search warrants on April 18, 2024. These searches led them to Sune-Giron's Orlando-area residence among others. There, the ATF and HSI agents discovered a significant cache that included around 57 firearms, 30 empty gun boxes, stacks of cash amounting to approximately $16,000, along with ammunition and money counters.
The efforts to dismantle Sune-Giron's operation, and curb the flow of trafficked firearms headed overseas, reflect ongoing enforcement against illicit arms trade. Between 2023 and 2024, Sune-Giron, and his associates managed to traffic over 1,000 firearms, part of a string of events that now leaves Sune-Giron facing a substantial prison term.
