Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Marques Young (22, Ocala) on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of knowingly causing a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in its official records. If convicted, Young faces up to five years in federal prison.
According to the complaint, between October 27, 2020, and March 9, 2022, Young purchased multiple handguns and a rifle from a Marion County gun dealer. Many of the firearms were identical. While purchasing the firearms, Young certified on each ATF Form 4473 (Firearm Transaction Record) that he was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. Young then quickly resold the firearms. Many of the firearms have since been recovered from Marion County crime scenes. For example, on March 3, 2022, Young purchased a Taurus pistol and signed an ATF Form 4473 certifying that he was the actual transferee/buyer. However, video from the transaction showed that Young walked to the back of the store to get cash from a convicted felon to pay for the firearm. Law enforcement found the convicted felon on March 23, 2022, with the Taurus pistol that Young had purchased.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.