TAMPA, FL – A Kissimmee couple has been sentenced to federal prison for running a sophisticated gun trafficking operation that funneled firearms to criminals in The Bahamas and Canada, the Department of Justice revealed Thursday. The scheme, led by 41-year-old Viviana Rodriguez and her boyfriend, 35-year-old Kingsley Wilson, saw the pair illegally acquire 140 firearms over just 18 months.
The ATF’s Orlando Field Office brought the case, uncovering evidence that Rodriguez and Wilson systematically purchased firearms from multiple dealers in the Middle District of Florida between January 2022 and July 2023. Crucially, both falsely certified on ATF Form 4473 records that they were the “actual transferee/buyer” of each weapon – a blatant lie. Investigators discovered through Wilson’s phone records a constant stream of communications detailing the illegal purchases and subsequent transfers to unknown parties for profit.
The consequences of their actions are chillingly clear. Law enforcement has already recovered 24 of the trafficked firearms at crime scenes. Twelve were found in The Bahamas, linked to drug trafficking, illegal possession by convicted felons, shootings, and even homicides. Another twelve turned up in Canada, contributing to violence north of the border. The full extent of the damage wrought by these weapons remains unknown, but authorities are working to trace the remaining 116 firearms.
U.S. District Judge John C. Antoon II handed down the sentences in Ocala. Rodriguez received two years and six months in prison after pleading guilty to dealing in firearms without a license, making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), and causing the FFL to maintain false information in its official records. Wilson, facing the same charges, received a harsher sentence of three years and ten months. The duo entered guilty pleas in late 2023.
“Gun traffickers are the purveyors of violent crime,” stated Kirk D. Howard, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Tampa Field Division. “Our investigators immediately stopped the illegal flow of crime guns to neighboring countries and then worked with partners to bring two conniving suspects to justice.” The investigation involved collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations, the Osceola and Lake County Sheriff’s Offices, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and ATF’s International Affairs Division.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a DOJ initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg prosecuted the case. While the sentences offer some measure of justice, the flow of illegal firearms remains a persistent threat, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and international cooperation to disrupt these deadly networks.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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