Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Juan Mario GonzalezPiloto (40, Anthony) with possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon. If convicted, GonzalezPiloto faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to the court records, between 2013 and 2020, GonzalezPiloto was convicted of five state felonies: (1) cannabis trafficking more than 25 pounds but less than 2,000 pounds; (2) possession of a place for drug trafficking; (3) possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; (4) possession of marijuana concentrate -hazardous extract; and (5) resisting an officer with violence.
On November 28, 2024, Marion County Sheriff deputies responded to GonzalezPiloto’s residence in northern Marion County. GonzalezPiloto had been injured while shooting a loaded firearm on his property. In describing how he had been injured, GonzalezPiloto told investigators that the firearm had malfunctioned while he was shooting it. As a convicted felon, GonzalezPiloto is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.