Cedar Park Man Sentenced for Dealing Firearms Without a License, Making False Statement to ATF

AUSTIN, Texas - A Cedar Park man was sentenced in federal court in Austin to imprisonment for one year and one day, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for dealing in firearms without a license and making a false statement to ATF agents. The court also ordered forfeiture of 32 firearms.

According to court documents, Andrew Darley Pennington, 40, frequently used a gun broker website to advertise firearms shortly after he had purchased them. On Dec. 2, 2021, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant, seizing 32 firearms and approximately 18,430 rounds of ammunition from Pennington's home. In the seven months prior to the search, Pennington had purchased more than 200 firearms.

At the time of the search, Pennington agreed to be interviewed by investigators. When asked by an ATF agent if he had shipped any firearms, Pennington falsely stated that he had not done so since 2016. In fact, he had shipped firearms to California and Nevada on a number of occasions during 2021.

"Federal law forbids anyone who is not properly licensed from engaging in the business of dealing in firearms," said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. "Dealing in firearms without a license is a serious, dangerous crime that our partners at ATF regularly investigate, and this office will prosecute."

"Firearms dealing without licensing is a form of firearms trafficking which is a top investigative priority for ATF," said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the ATF Houston Division. "We will continue to leverage both human resources and crime gun intelligence to tackle the issue. We know that these types of firearms contribute to the violence in our communities, and we will continue leveraging the partnerships that law enforcement has to address the dangerous and illicit activity of firearms trafficking."

ATF investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Castillo and Alan Buie prosecuted the case.

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