Frank Jude Petrone, Sr., a former gun store employee from Parrish, was sentenced on April 2 to three years and one month in federal prison for trafficking firearms and selling guns and ammunition to a convicted felon. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge William F. Jung after Petrone pleaded guilty on August 26, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the sentencing.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about illegal firearm sales and the risks they pose to public safety. According to court documents, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office informed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on October 2, 2024 that Petrone had been selling firearms to an individual he knew was a convicted felon while working as a salesperson at a licensed gun store.
Authorities said that between October 2024 and January 2025, Petrone sold four firearms and a total of 146 rounds of ammunition across four separate transactions with the convicted felon, who was acting as a confidential source for law enforcement. Federal law prohibits selling firearms or ammunition to anyone with felony convictions because such individuals cannot pass required background checks.
Court records show that specific sales included a .357 Taurus revolver with ammunition in October; a Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol with more than fifty rounds in November; and both a TISAS semi-automatic pistol along with an offer of an illegal machinegun in January. On January 28, Petrone also sold another loaded firearm—a CZ Scorpion pistol—to the confidential source.
The investigation involved both ATF agents and deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which seeks to combat illegal immigration as well as criminal organizations while aiming to protect communities from violent crime.
