Naples family sentenced in firearms straw purchasing scheme

U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti sentenced Jesus Robin Suarez, 48, and his children Kevin Robin Suarez, 25, and Andrea Joselin Suarez, 28, all from Naples, to federal prison for their roles in a firearms straw purchasing conspiracy.

Jesus Suarez was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. Kevin Suarez was sentenced to three years and one month, and Andrea Suarez was sentenced to four years and three months. All three had pleaded guilty earlier in 2020 to conspiring to falsify records relating to firearms purchases.

According to court documents, Jesus Suarez directed his adult children to recruit their friends and acquaintances to make straw purchases of AK-47 rifles from Naples and Fort Myers-area licensed gun stores. In exchange for cash from the Suarez family, the straw purchasers fraudulently certified to the gun stores that they were buying the firearms for themselves, when in truth they were actually buying the guns for Jesus Suarez and his children. According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearings, these straw-purchased firearms were thereafter unlawfully exported by Jesus Suarez to his native Bolivia.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.