JACKSONVILLE, FL – Braden Huston Hobbs, 27, from Ponte Vedra, Florida, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for conspiracy to traffic firearms and controlled substances. Hobbs faces up to 15 years for the arms trafficking charge, 10 years for lying to a gun dealer, and a minimum of five years, with a potential sentence of 40 years, for his role in distributing at least 500 grams of cocaine.
According to court documents, law enforcement started investigating Hobbs following the recovery of several firearms from drug distributors’ homes. During controlled purchases in 2024, agents bought 11 guns from Hobbs’s co-conspirators, Alton Wayne Cope III and Jayden Lance Cope, who have also been prosecuted.
Hobbs is alleged to have purchased at least 120 firearms from federally licensed dealers since 2022, selling them without a license. He was caught advertising firearms for sale before acquiring them and accepting cash or drug trades as payment. Hobbs is accused of knowing his customers were resellers, drug users, or distributors.
In addition to firearms, Hobbs distributed controlled substances, including cocaine and Adderall, often selling drugs to the same individuals who bought firearms from him. He was arrested in June 2024 after a DUI charge, leading to the seizure of over 200 grams of cocaine and 17 grams of Adderall.
Co-conspirators Alton Wayne Cope III received a sentence of four years and three months for being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiracy to deal without a license. Jayden Lance Cope has pleaded guilty, with his sentencing scheduled for October 2025.
This case is a joint effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, the North Florida HIDTA Tri-County Narcotics Task Force, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Related Federal Cases
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- Oxley’s Multi-Million Dollar Drug Smuggling Operation Busted · Florida
- Florida Gunrunner Faces 71 Counts in NY Ghost Gun Pipeline · New York
- Queens Ghost Gun Ring Busted: 5 Sentenced · New York
- Fla. Drug Dealer Leary Jailed for 105 Months in Georgia · Georgia
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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