ORLANDO, FL – Angel Ruben Hernandez Jr., 75, of Altamonte Springs, has confessed to deliberately falsifying paperwork to enable the illegal flow of firearms into the hands of criminals. The former owner of Arms Hill LLC, a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to record required information about gun purchases – a move that could land him behind bars for up to five years per count.
Federal investigators uncovered a scheme where Hernandez was allegedly supplying firearms to a known source who was, in turn, trafficking them to drug dealers and convicted felons. The crucial element? Hernandez wasn’t just looking the other way; he was actively covering up the illegal transactions by forging ATF Form 4473s – the very documents designed to ensure buyers are legally eligible to own guns. These falsified records create a shadow market where prohibited individuals can easily acquire weapons.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) launched an undercover operation in April 2023, sending a cooperating source to purchase firearms from Hernandez. Over three separate visits – April 20, 24, and May 1 – Hernandez sold nine firearms at inflated prices, all while creating bogus sales records claiming the guns were going to his own relatives. It wasn’t a one-off incident. A subsequent search warrant executed on May 19th revealed pre-filled Form 4473s, ready to be used for future fraudulent sales.
The scope of the operation is staggering. Records show that nearly 25% of Arms Hill LLC’s sales between 2019 and 2023 – over 260 firearms in total – were fraudulently recorded as being purchased by Hernandez’s family members. This wasn’t a simple bookkeeping error; it was a calculated effort to bypass federal regulations and profit from illegal gun trafficking. The ATF, with support from the FBI, Apopka Police Department, and Altamonte Springs Police Department, painstakingly pieced together the evidence leading to Hernandez’s guilty plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana E. Hill and Noah Dorman are prosecuting the case, framing it as a key component of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – a federal program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. The Department of Justice launched a renewed focus on PSN in 2021, emphasizing community trust, preventative measures, and targeted enforcement. Hernandez’s actions directly undermine these goals, and his prosecution sends a clear message: those who prioritize profit over public safety will be held accountable.
A sentencing date for Angel Ruben Hernandez Jr. has not yet been set. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for each of the three counts to which he pleaded guilty, potentially totaling 15 years. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing.
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