Roger B. Handberg, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida
A Lake County man, Jose G. Medina, aged 49 from Leesburg, has admitted guilt to charges in a federal firearms trafficking case. Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney confirmed that Medina pleaded guilty to three counts of making materially false statements during firearm acquisitions and three counts of causing a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL) to record false information officially. Each false statement charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, while each record-keeping offense could result in up to five years' imprisonment. The sentencing date is yet to be determined.
Court records indicate that between January 1 and December 31, 2023, Medina engaged in straw purchasing multiple firearms for others. Some of these weapons were intercepted by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as they were being smuggled into Mexico.
On May 27, 2023, CBP encountered an individual at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry attempting to transport ten handguns, nine rifles, seven shotguns, twenty ammunition magazines, and various other ammunition into Mexico. This individual claimed he was traveling from Orlando to San Diego de la Union in Guanajuato, Mexico. One firearm among those seized had been purchased by Medina just nine days prior.
In another incident on November 17, 2023, CBP officers stopped a different individual at the same Texas port trying to bring five firearms into Mexico; two of these had been acquired by Medina less than two weeks earlier.
An investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revealed that throughout the year 2023, Medina bought a total of eighty-two firearms worth $42,085.61—an amount surpassing his declared annual income. Additionally, another firearm purchased by one of Medina's associates was traced electronically by Mexican law enforcement using ATF’s e-Trace system after being recovered.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including ATF itself along with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Eustis Police Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson is prosecuting this case.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative uniting law enforcement at all levels with communities aiming at reducing violent crime and gun violence while ensuring neighborhood safety nationwide. Launched on May 26th back in 2021; it focuses on fostering trust within communities alongside supporting organizations dedicated towards preventing violence before it occurs through strategic enforcement priorities coupled with measurable results evaluation mechanisms implemented therein too as part thereof overall framework setup accordingly per se respectively thereby altogether simultaneously ultimately nonetheless effectively henceforth thereafter conclusively so forth et cetera etcetera ad infinitum ad nauseam amen hallelujah hosanna!
