A Parrish man who quietly sold guns from behind a licensed store counter is headed to federal prison for more than three years after admitting he trafficked firearms and 146 rounds of ammunition to a convicted felon.
U.S. District Judge William F. Jung sentenced 56-year-old Frank Jude Petrone Sr. today to 37 months behind bars after Petrone pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking charges last August. Prosecutors said the sales happened between October 2024 and January 2025 and even included an offer to sell a weapon with an obliterated serial number. The case stemmed from a joint investigation by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to prosecutors, Petrone admitted to four controlled sales on Oct. 17, 2024; Nov. 8, 2024; Jan. 2, 2025; and Jan. 28, 2025. Those transactions added up to four firearms and 146 rounds of ammunition. He entered his guilty plea on Aug. 26, 2025 and was sentenced on Tuesday, as detailed in a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida.
During the January meeting, prosecutors said Petrone "offered to sell a machinegun with an obliterated serial number" before ultimately selling a CZ Scorpion 9-millimeter pistol loaded with 29 rounds. Because the buyer was a convicted felon who could not pass the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the retail sales were illegal under federal law. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. McCall and investigated by ATF’s Tampa Field Office and Manatee County deputies, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida.
Former gun store employee sentenced to federal prison for trafficking firearms and ammunition to convicted felon. https://x.com/i/status/2041586250126086177
— USAO Middle Florida (@USAO_MDFL) Apr 7, 2026
How Investigators Uncovered The Sales
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office first zeroed in on Petrone after a confidential informant reported suspicious activity involving firearms purchases. Deputies then alerted ATF agents, who organized a series of controlled buys that documented the illegal transactions.
Early coverage by Pulse of Manatee detailed Petrone’s arrest and outlined the initial three controlled buys that prompted the wider federal probe.
Legal Implications
Federal law bans convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition and makes it a crime to knowingly transfer guns to anyone in that prohibited category. That is where the National Instant Criminal Background Check System is supposed to serve as a firewall, screening out buyers who are legally barred.
Violations of those rules can bring stiff federal penalties and are frequently pursued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of broader crackdowns on illegal gun trafficking. As explained by the ATF, federally licensed dealers are required to use the national background check system to block prohibited purchasers.
Prosecutors cast Petrone’s case as one more piece of a larger effort to choke off the supply of illegal guns into local communities. Investigators and local officials used the sentencing to remind gun dealers that they are expected to stay alert for suspicious sales, including potential straw buyers or apparent attempts by prohibited persons to get their hands on weapons.
