LAS VEGAS, Nev. - George Stone, 70, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty today to one count of dealing in firearms without a Federal Firearms License (FFL), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents, Stone, an unlicensed firearms dealer, admitted that he sold dozens of firearms without an FFL. Stone sold some of those firearms to undercover law enforcement officers. A subsequent search warrant executed at Stone’s residence resulted in the seizure of 32 firearms, many bearing price tags and marked for sale.
The case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Burton is prosecuting the case.
Stone is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan on May 5, 2020. Stone faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the ATF when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
