Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the guilty plea of Angel Ruben Hernandez, Jr., 75, of Altamonte Springs, on three counts of failing to record essential information regarding firearms purchases. Hernandez, who was an owner and responsible party of Arms Hill LLC, a federally licensed firearms dealer, faces a potential maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count. The date for sentencing has not been scheduled.
Under the plea agreement, it was revealed that from 2019 to 2023, Hernandez was involved in the illegal supply of firearms to an individual selling them to drug dealers and convicted felons. He also admitted to falsifying paperwork in these transactions. Federally licensed firearms dealers are required to ensure purchasers complete ATF Form 4473, which includes detailed questions about the buyer’s background and eligibility to purchase firearms. The lack of accurate Form 4473 records increases the value of firearms on the black market, as it facilitates acquisition by otherwise prohibited individuals.
In April 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), using a cooperating source, began undercover purchases from Hernandez. On April 20, April 24, and May 1, 2023, Hernandez sold a total of nine firearms to this ATF source, charging above-market prices and creating false ATF Form 4473 forms, which falsely indicated sales to his relatives. A search warrant executed on May 19, 2023, led to the discovery of pre-filled ATF 4473 forms with Hernandez’s relatives’ information, prepared for future fictitious sales. Nearly a quarter of Hernandez’s sales as a Federal Firearms Licensee from 2019-2023, involving more than 260 firearms, were falsely recorded as sales to his relatives.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Apopka Police Department, and the Altamonte Springs Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Dana E. Hill and Noah Dorman are prosecuting the case.