Florida man Gabriel Acosta Jr, 28, of Lehigh Acres, Florida will spend the next three years and one month of his life in a federal prison. He was found guilty of lying on federal firearms forms and making firearms straw purchases by delivering all of the guns he purchased to Mexican drug cartels.
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Between December 2018 and March 2019, Acosta was purchasing high powered rifles from gun stores in the Fort Myers and Cape Coral area. Acosta purchased the weapons and swore on the federal form 4473 that the weapon purchased was for his own personal use and not for resale to others.
In reality, Acosta was making all of the firearm purchases for Mexican drug cartels. After the purchases, Acosta would make the long drive and take them over to Laredo, Texas where he would meet up and then deliver them to Mexican drug cartel associates in exchange for cold hard cash.
CARTEL CONNECTIONS – At least three firearms, originally purchased by a Lehigh Acres man, were found across the border in Mexico and were being used by known cartel members. https://t.co/vkrDoGgyOs
— NBC2 (@NBC2) November 14, 2022
A Southwest Florida man was sentenced to three years in prison after he falsified documents to illegally buy guns for a Mexican drug cartel. https://t.co/1e2jero0Yu
— 1290 WJNO (@WJNONews) November 15, 2022
Lehigh Acres man sentenced to federal prison for straw purchasing firearms for Mexican drug cartel. @ATF_Tampa https://t.co/pTcfnG6TW8
— USAO Middle Florida (@USAO_MDFL) November 16, 2022
At the time of his sentencing, three of Acosta’s Florida firearm purchases have been recovered by Mexican military and police following gun battles with drug cartel members.
It is unknown how many innocent people may have been murdered by the weapons Acosta supplied to the drug cartels, but I’m sure he doesn’t care as he was paid well for his dirty work.
Acosta pled guilty to falsifying federal firearms records on the rifle purchases back on May 25th, 2022, in federal court and now at his sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell sentenced Acosta to three years and one month in federal prison for the offenses.
This case was investigated by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth. of the Department of Justice in the Middle District of Florida.
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