Central Florida men get 11 years in prison for trafficking guns to smuggle out of US
Two Central Florida men were sentenced to 11 years in prison for trafficking guns, including AK-47 assault rifles, to smuggle out of the country, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Derick Yamir Perez Diaz, 22, of Orlando, and Ernesto Vazquez, 23, of Kissimmee, were sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms, according to a DOJ news release. Perez Diaz purchased guns from Stephen Easton, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Melrose. Easton received 11 years, 8 months in prison after pleading guilty to firearms trafficking, the release said.
Perez Diaz purchased over 100 guns at the direction of Vazquez and others, according to court records. Using Vazquez's money he bought guns from sources including federally licensed dealers like Easton, Chinese gun manufacturers and others. The guns included AK-47 assault rifles, Glock pistols, Draco pistols and machine gun conversion devices.
Easton sold guns to Perez Diaz knowing he was dealing in firearms without a license, records show. Perez Diaz would deliver them to Vazquez and others who directed him to make purchases. Vazquez would then sell them to an unidentified individual who smuggled them out of the U.S. He also received guns from others besides Perez Diaz.
DOJ said more than 100 Glocks and AK-47s were trafficked between October and December 2023 alone.
Court records show text messages between Perez Diaz and Vazquez arranging purchases — including one in November 2023 where Perez Diaz purchased 40 Glocks from Easton at Vazquez's direction.
'It's going to be all 40 Glocks?' Perez Diaz asked. 'All of it,' Vazquez replied.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at Vazquez's residence in April 2024 and found multiple firearms, stockpiles of ammunition and grenades, the release said.
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