OCALA, FL – A Kissimmee couple is facing federal charges after allegedly running a shadow gun shop, purchasing nearly 130 firearms over 18 months and illegally supplying them to others. Kingsley Wilson, 35, and Viviana Rodriguez, 41, are named in a 39-count indictment unsealed Wednesday, accused of skirting federal gun laws for profit.
According to court documents, Wilson purchased 89 firearms from dealers across the Middle District of Florida between January 2022 and July 2023. Rodriguez, meanwhile, acquired approximately 40 firearms during the same period. Prosecutors allege the pair repeatedly lied on ATF Form 4473s, falsely claiming to be the “actual transferee/buyer” when, in reality, they were purchasing the weapons for unknown third parties – a practice known as straw purchasing.
The scheme didn’t stay contained within Florida’s borders. Ten of the firearms purchased by Wilson have surfaced at crime scenes in the Bahamas and Canada, raising serious questions about the ultimate destination and intended use of these weapons. Federal investigators are now scrambling to trace the full network and identify those receiving the illegally sourced firearms.
If convicted, both Wilson and Rodriguez face a hefty prison sentence. They each could receive up to 5 years for dealing in firearms without a license. Each count of making materially false statements to a licensed firearms dealer carries a potential 10-year penalty, and each charge of causing a dealer to maintain false records could add another 5 years to their sentence. That means the couple could potentially face decades behind bars.
The investigation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). This initiative aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by fostering collaboration between law enforcement and communities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is not a conviction. Both Wilson and Rodriguez are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, the evidence presented suggests a deliberate and widespread effort to bypass federal firearms regulations, fueling the illicit gun trade and potentially contributing to violence both domestically and internationally. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it unfolds.
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