Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Ocala, Florida – Gary Dewayne Martin (31, Fort McCoy, FL) has pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered firearm silencer. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Martin had been indicted on July 15, 2020.

According to the plea agreement, on September 20, 2019, law enforcement officers responded to Martin’s residence to investigate reports that he had been threatening individuals with a gun. Deputies located 37 firearms and large quantities of ammunition, including a .22 caliber rifle with a homemade silencer attached to the barrel. Martin subsequently admitted that the firearm and silencer belonged to him. Martin had never registered the silencer, nor sought permission to manufacture it, as is required under federal law.

This case was 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 William S. Hamilton.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

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