Former Gun Store Employee Pleads Guilty to Firearms Trafficking to Canada
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced that Larry Anthony Brame, II, 44, of Lakeland, has pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking. Brame faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between June and August 2023, Brame obtained a Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol and a DPMS Panther Arms AR-15 rifle, which he later sold, knowing the purchaser planned to smuggle the firearms into Canada. Brame purchased the Glock 23 from a firearms store in Clearwater and falsified ATF Form 4473 during the transaction. He stated on the form that he was the actual transferee, despite intending to transfer the firearm to another individual who planned to smuggle it to Canada.
Additionally, Brame knew the purchaser intended to obliterate the firearms’ serial numbers and smuggle them illegally into Canada. During the sale, Brame suggested methods to smuggle the firearms across the border to evade law enforcement detection.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Adam W. McCall.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that unites all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, making neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy to strengthen PSN, focusing on fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations to prevent violence, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida
