Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew has sentenced Yvens Philone, 36, of Sarasota to 10 years in federal prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Philone had pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2023.

According to court documents, between May 5 and 20, 2022, Philone sold six firearms, including one that Philone had described as a “Mac-10 machine gun,” to a confidential informant working with ATF and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. Philone also sold the confidential informant nearly 60 grams of methamphetamine and 11 grams of fentanyl. Before possessing the firearms that he sold, Philone had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including robbery, burglary and grand theft of a motor vehicle. As a previously convicted felon, Philone is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Sullivan.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.

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