Straw Purchaser Sentenced to Over Five Years in Federal Prison for Numerous Firearm Purchases Made on Behalf of Others

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Tampa, Florida – Esai Pastrana Cruz (30, Puerto Rico) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington to five years and three months in federal prison for conspiring to and making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer (“FFL”). Pastrana Cruz pleaded guilty on February 19, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.