Darrell Pierre Hopkins, Falsifying Federal Firearm Paperwork, Florida 2021

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Table of Contents

Convicted Felon Caught Lying to Buy Guns

Ocala, FL – In a shocking case of deceit, Darrell Pierre Hopkins (54, Dunnellon), a convicted felon, was caught attempting to purchase two handguns from a federally licensed firearm dealer in Crystal River, Florida. On November 23, 2021, Hopkins attempted to buy the firearms, but his prior felony convictions under an alias for robbery and conspiracy to deal cocaine were revealed during a background check.

Hopkins, who is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law, certified on the mandatory firearm transaction paperwork that he had not previously been convicted of a felony. When confronted by law enforcement, Hopkins admitted to being the person who had attempted to purchase the firearms.

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, which will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This case is part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, aimed at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions.

Hopkins faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison if convicted on both counts of making a materially false statement in connection with the purchase of firearms and knowingly causing a licensed gun dealer to maintain false information in its official records. The indictment is a formal charge, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.