Two Lee County residents have admitted to playing roles in a federal firearms straw purchase that unfolded at a crowded gun show in 2017. Herman Fleming, 26, of Lehigh Acres, and Sondre’jah Wilbon, 24, of Fort Myers, pleaded guilty to charges tied to an illegal attempt to acquire three weapons, including an assault-style rifle, through false paperwork and cash transactions meant to bypass federal law.
The scheme unraveled under the watch of an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent at the Lee County Civic Center on April 2, 2017. Court documents reveal that Fleming, then facing state felony charges and legally barred from possessing firearms, openly handled multiple guns at a dealer booth. He directed Wilbon to buy three specific firearms—telling her exactly which assault-style rifle and two pistols he wanted—and handed her cash before walking away to avoid detection.
Wilbon completed the purchase, signing federal Form 4473 and falsely declaring herself the actual buyer. But the ruse didn’t last. Law enforcement moved in as the pair left the venue. Agents found the purchased rifle stashed in the trunk of Fleming’s car and the receipts for all three guns in his pocket. The two pistols were still held by the dealer due to Florida’s mandatory three-day waiting period and never reached the suspects.
Fleming and Wilbon now face up to five years in federal prison each. Sentencing dates have not been scheduled. Both remain in federal custody pending further court proceedings. Prosecutors emphasized that the attempt to circumvent federal background checks—especially by a prohibited person—struck at the heart of public safety laws designed to keep guns out of dangerous hands.
The case was jointly investigated by the ATF and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman is handling the prosecution. Authorities say the swift takedown exemplifies the ongoing reach of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Justice Department’s initiative to disrupt illegal gun trafficking and reduce violent crime through coordinated federal, state, and local enforcement.
Launched in 2001 and reinvigorated in October 2017 under then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, PSN has become a backbone of federal gun crime strategy. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez oversees districtwide efforts to target firearms offenses. This case, officials say, proves that even attempted straw purchases won’t slip through the cracks.
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