Roger B. Handberg, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the unsealing of an indictment against Eugenio Gonzalez-Paredes, a 53-year-old from the Dominican Republic. He is charged with making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. If found guilty, Gonzalez-Paredes could face up to five years in federal prison.
The indictment claims that Gonzalez-Paredes falsely stated on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Form 4473 that he had not been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison. However, it was revealed that he had two prior convictions in the United States District Court in the District of Puerto Rico for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
It is important to note that an indictment is simply a formal charge and does not imply guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman will prosecute the case.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a strategy to enhance PSN by focusing on community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
