Press Release
KEYS COMMERCIAL LOBSTER OPERATION RESULTS IN SEARCH, SEIZURES AND ARREST
August 8, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Hugo J, Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Michael Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced today that on Thursday, August 7, 2008, defendant VICTOR NEEDLEMAN, was sentenced to a term of 70 months in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a $12,500 fine, the forfeiture of $44,600.00 and numerous firearms. NEEDLEMAN also surrendered the federal firearms license and sold American Range and Gun as part of the guilty plea entered in this case.
On May 30, 2008, NEEDLEMAN pled guilty to Counts One through Four of a four count Information. Count One charged the defendant with a conspiracy to sell firearms to a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. Counts 2 through four charged the defendant with knowingly selling firearms to a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(d)(1).
NEEDLEMAN was a licensed firearms dealer who owned and operated American Range and Gun, a business formerly located in Pembroke Park, Florida. As alleged in the Information NEEDLEMAN knowingly sold firearms to a convicted felon via straw purchases, that is using fictitious buyers on the required firearms sales documents, with knowledge that the firearms would be exported by the convicted felon to Guatemala.
According to facts presented to the Court during the sentencing hearing, the investigation revealed that numerous firearms sold through American Range and Gun had been recovered in crimes of violence within one year or their purchase at American Range and Gun. The investigation also revealed that firearms sold by NEEDLEMAN through American Range and Gun had been recovered in a shoot-out between rival drug gangs in Guatemala in which several people were killed.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Walleisa.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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