TRENTON, NJ – A federal judge has rejected a motion by convicted gun dealer Brandon Groce to vacate his sentence, ruling that his guilty plea was valid and that his post-conviction claims failed to show any constitutional or procedural violations.
U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi of the District of New Jersey issued the opinion denying Groce’s petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, which sought to overturn his 2020 conviction for selling firearms without a license and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Groce, who filed his motion pro se, argued that his plea was involuntary and that he received ineffective assistance of counsel, among other claims. The court found no merit in any of his arguments.
Groce’s conviction stemmed from a series of illegal gun sales conducted between February and September 2019. According to court records, Groce sold multiple firearms—including pistols, revolvers, and a .22 caliber rifle—to undercover ATF agents and confidential informants in Gloucester County. None of the weapons were sold under a federal firearms license, and one pistol had an obliterated serial number.
During his plea hearing, Groce admitted under oath to each of the six firearm transactions, acknowledging he was a convicted felon at the time and that he knew his conduct was illegal. He also confirmed that the guns and ammunition had traveled in interstate commerce and that several weapons were operable at the time of sale.
In August 2020, Groce entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, pleading guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license under 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A) and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon under § 922(g)(1). In exchange, prosecutors agreed not to pursue additional charges arising from the undercover operation.
The plea agreement outlined the maximum penalties—five years in prison for the unlicensed dealing charge and ten years for the felon-in-possession count—along with potential fines and supervised release conditions. Groce confirmed in court that he understood the agreement and was entering it voluntarily.
In his post-conviction filings, Groce claimed his plea was coerced and that his attorney failed to adequately challenge the government’s evidence. However, Judge Quraishi concluded that the record refuted those claims, citing Groce’s sworn admissions during the plea colloquy and the lack of any indication that his attorney’s performance was deficient or that any alleged error affected the outcome of the case.
The court also denied Groce’s supplemental motions, finding they raised no new grounds for relief. “Petitioner’s motion to vacate and supplemental motions are denied, and Petitioner is denied a certificate of appealability,” Quraishi wrote.
With the ruling, Groce remains bound by his original conviction and sentence, closing the latest chapter in a case that began when federal agents caught him selling multiple firearms without a license to undercover operatives in South Jersey.
A federal judge in New Jersey denied Brandon Groce’s motion to vacate his conviction, ruling his guilty plea in an illegal firearms case was voluntary and properly supported by the record.
