U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg | U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Ricardo Fermin Sune-Giron, a 34-year-old from Guatemala, has pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy, firearms trafficking, dealing in firearms without a license, and possessing firearms as an illegal alien. He could face up to 15 years in federal prison for the conspiracy and possession offenses, and up to 5 years for dealing in firearms without a license. A sentencing date is yet to be determined.
The plea agreement revealed that between 2023 and April 2024, Sune-Giron was involved in a transnational firearms trafficking operation. He recruited straw purchasers to illegally acquire firearms such as Glocks, rifles, and AK-47s from licensed dealers across Florida. These weapons were then smuggled overseas to places like the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The operation trafficked thousands of firearms during this period, some of which were found at crime scenes.
On April 18, 2024, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations conducted three search warrants at residences in the Orlando area. At Sune-Giron's residence, authorities seized over 50 firearms, ammunition, money counters, and approximately $16,000 in cash.
At the time of his arrest, Sune-Giron was living illegally in the United States under a false identity.
The investigation was led by ATF and Homeland Security Investigations with support from the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Noah P. Dorman are prosecuting the case.
