A federal jury in Orlando has convicted Jincheng Shi, a 28-year-old resident of St. Cloud, for aiding and abetting unlicensed firearms dealing and possessing a firearm as an alien admitted under a nonimmigrant visa. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the verdict. Shi could face up to 15 years in federal prison, with sentencing set for March 9, 2026.
Shi was indicted on September 3, 2025. According to trial evidence, he entered the United States in 2022 on a nonimmigrant work visa, which prohibited him from legally possessing firearms. Despite this restriction, Shi operated a business selling firearms parts and accessories at gun shows and from a rented storage unit.
The trial revealed that codefendants Victor Lafontaine and Jose Maldonado were among Shi’s customers. They assembled the purchased parts into complete firearms and sold them without obtaining the required Federal Firearms License. Evidence also showed that Lafontaine sold these firearms to individuals who were not legally allowed to own them, including convicted felons.
Federal agents executed a search warrant at Shi’s home on February 20, 2025, discovering multiple firearms there. Testimony indicated that Shi was aware his customers were assembling and selling completed firearms from the parts he supplied.
Shi was originally charged alongside six other individuals as part of a broader gun trafficking operation. All six codefendants have pleaded guilty; some have been sentenced while others await sentencing.
The investigation involved several agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Orlando Police Department, Winter Garden Police Department, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Apopka Police Department, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by coordinating efforts among law enforcement agencies and community organizations. The Department of Justice enhanced its violent crime reduction strategy under PSN in May 2021 to focus on building trust within communities and supporting prevention programs.
