Carlos A. Urena, Manufacturing ‘Ghost Guns’, Florida 2021

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Carlos A. Urena, 38, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle.

Urena was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he was a convicted felon. He had nine prior felony convictions. Less than a month before the search warrants, he had been placed on state probation for child abuse and for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

“Removing ‘ghost guns’ from the hands of convicted felons is essential in fighting violent crime and protecting the public,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This investigation and the resulting sentence demonstrate that cooperation between law abiding citizens and law enforcement makes our communities safer.”

After receiving a tip that Carlos Urena was illegally in possession of a large number of firearms, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD), began a joint investigation. Financial documents revealed that Urena had spent approximately $8,000 at various websites which sell firearm parts and part-kits between June 17, 2021, and July 7, 2021.

On July 22, 2021, ATF and TPD executed federal search warrants at Urena’s home and business. They recovered eight AR-15 style firearms, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, three polymer-80 Glock-style pistols, a Springfield Armory 9-millimeter pistol, an ATA Arms 12-gauge shotgun, thousands of rounds of ammunition in various calibers, firearm parts including high-capacity magazines and AR-style firearm receivers, and tools related to assembling firearms. Most of the firearms recovered were privately made firearms, commonly called “ghost guns” because they do not have serial numbers and are difficult to trace, which Urena had assembled himself from parts ordered from the internet.

Following his 87-month prison sentence, Urena will be on federal supervised release for three years. The Court also imposed a $50,000 fine.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.

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