Licensed Florida Gun Dealer Busted by Feds for Global Firearms Trafficking Ring
A licensed Florida gun dealer and two co-conspirators face up to 15 years after admitting to running a firearms trafficking ring. 🌐 #News #OrlandoFL #Florida #Crime
ORLANDO, FL – A federal investigation into a Florida firearms trafficking operation has led to guilty pleas from a licensed gun dealer and two accomplices involved in smuggling more than 100 firearms and illegal devices out of the country.
Dealer and Co-Conspirators Plead Guilty
Matthew L. Stephen Easton, 35, a federally licensed firearms dealer, admitted to trafficking firearms and now faces up to 15 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for January 24, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Easton’s co-defendants, Derick Yamir Perez Diaz, 22, and Ernesto Vasquez, 23, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms. Both Perez Diaz and Vasquez could each face up to 15 years in federal prison.
Trafficking Operation Details
Court documents and plea agreements revealed that Easton supplied numerous firearms to Perez Diaz, despite knowing that he was illegally dealing guns without a license. Perez Diaz then sold the firearms to Vasquez, who smuggled the weapons out of the country for resale.
Between October and December 2023, the group trafficked over 100 Glock pistols and AK-47 rifles. Additionally, Vasquez and Perez Diaz admitted to trafficking illegal machine gun conversion devices, further escalating the seriousness of their crimes.
ATF Search Uncovers Stockpile of Weapons
On April 18, 2024, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant at Vasquez’s residence. The search resulted in the seizure of firearms, grenades, and large quantities of ammunition.
Perez Diaz is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, while Vasquez’s sentencing is set for April 8.
The case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to combat illegal firearms trafficking and prevent the illegal distribution of weapons both domestically and internationally.
RELATED TOPICS: Crime | Florida
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