Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Damian Ramos Ramirez (59, Lakeland), today pleaded guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Ramos Ramirez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Ramos Ramirez came to the attention of law enforcement officers in May 2013, when he and his wife began purchasing firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), in the Pinellas County area. On Dec. 19, 2013, Ramos Ramirez purchased two Kel-Tec 9mm pistols from the FFL. Later that day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ramos Ramirez’s home and found numerous firearms and ammunition.
In all, twenty-seven firearms and 1,700 rounds of ammunition were seized in relation to this case. At the time of the incident, Ramos Ramirez was a convicted felon and thus prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods" program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Trevor Velinor, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. This is another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
