Viviana Rodriguez, Gun Trafficking, Florida 2023

OCALA, FL – A Kissimmee woman is facing serious time behind bars after admitting to running an illegal firearms operation, flooding the streets with guns and falsifying federal records to cover her tracks. Viviana Rodriguez, 41, pleaded guilty this week to one count of dealing in firearms without a license, seven counts of making materially false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), and seven counts of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records.

According to court documents, Rodriguez, along with her boyfriend Kingsley Wilson, went on a buying spree between January 2022 and July 2023. Wilson purchased 92 firearms from dealers across the Middle District of Florida, while Rodriguez herself bought another 47. The scheme was simple, and brazen: Rodriguez repeatedly lied on ATF Form 4473s, claiming she was the “actual transferee/buyer” when, in reality, she was purchasing the guns for others in exchange for cash. This allowed her to bypass legal safeguards meant to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands.

Federal prosecutors revealed that cellphone records paint a damning picture of the operation. Texts between Wilson and Rodriguez – and others – detail the illegal purchases and subsequent transfers of the firearms. The reach of this operation isn’t limited to Florida. Law enforcement has already recovered 14 of the guns purchased by Rodriguez and Wilson at crime scenes, including in connection with homicides, in both the Bahamas and Canada. This isn’t just about breaking the law locally; it’s about fueling violence across borders.

Rodriguez now faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license. Each count of making a false statement carries a potential 10-year sentence, and each count of causing an FFL to maintain false records could add another five years. Her co-defendant, Kingsley Wilson, already pleaded guilty to 25 related counts in November and is awaiting his own sentencing date.

The case was spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg is prosecuting the case. The investigation is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through coordinated law enforcement efforts.

This case highlights the ongoing struggle to curb illegal gun trafficking and the devastating consequences when firearms end up in the hands of criminals. While federal officials tout the success of PSN, the fact that these weapons surfaced in international crimes raises serious questions about the effectiveness of current enforcement measures and the ease with which illegally obtained firearms can cross borders.

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