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Jony Sevilla Cerna, Making False Statements, Minnesota 2012
A 34-year-old Hopkins man has been brought to justice for his role in a firearms trafficking scheme. Jony Sevilla Cerna, a resident of Hopkins, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to making false statements to Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers (FFLs) for the purpose of illegally purchasing firearms for individuals in Honduras.
Cerna’s guilty plea stems from a March 29, 2012 incident where he made a false written statement to a licensed Minnetonka firearms dealer when he was purchasing a nine-millimeter pistol. In that written statement, Cerna asserted that he was buying the gun for himself, when, in fact, he was not.
As part of his plea agreement, Cerna admitted that he had made similar false statements to various licensed firearms dealers while purchasing 26 other firearms. In truth, he had purchased each of those firearms on behalf of individuals in Honduras.
After acquiring the firearms under the false pretense that he was buying the firearms for himself, Cerna admittedly shipped or attempted to ship the firearms to Honduras by concealing them in electronic equipment. Cerna traveled to Honduras on several occasions to distribute the firearms he had shipped there to third parties and to take payment for the firearms he exported.
Seven of the firearms Cerna shipped were discovered and seized at a freight-forwarding company in Miami, Florida. The investigation and subsequent prosecution of Cerna’s case were a result of collaboration between the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Cerna faces a potential maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. His sentence will be determined by Judge Susan Richard Nelson at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Surya Saxena.
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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