GAINESVILLE — Two Florida men received a combined 16 years in federal prison this week after separate investigations uncovered more than 400 grams of methamphetamine in Dixie County and a firearms straw-purchasing ring in Lake County that funneled 44 guns toward the Mexican border.
Ronald Carl Peavy II, 49, of Old Town, was sentenced to 12 years for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Fernando Munguia Jr., 24, of Leesburg, received four years for making materially false statements to acquire firearms and causing a federal firearms licensee to maintain false records. Both cases were prosecuted under Operation Take Back America, the Department of Justice initiative targeting drug trafficking, transnational criminal organizations and violent crime.
U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin of the Northern District of Florida announced the Peavy sentence. “This drug trafficker’s days of running deadly narcotics in our community are over thanks to the excellent investigative work by the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office with support from the DEA,” Heekin said. “Meth has been a scourge that devastated entire communities for far too long, but under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche the Department of Justice is aggressively pursuing drug traffickers through Operation Take Back America to deliver the safe, drug-free streets our citizens deserve.”
The Peavy case began when a Dixie County Sheriff’s Office deputy found Peavy’s car parked in the middle of an intersection in the early morning hours. After several minutes of the car not moving, the deputy approached and found Peavy asleep with the engine running and the transmission in park. After smelling marijuana, the deputy searched the vehicle and discovered two zippered cases — one containing more than 400 grams of methamphetamine, the other approximately 77 grams of marijuana.
Dixie County Sheriff Darby Butler said the seizure removed a direct threat from local streets. “The successful prosecution of this offender sends a clear message that drug trafficking has serious consequences,” Butler said. “The substantial quantity of methamphetamine recovered in this case represented a significant threat to the safety of our community. Thanks to the diligence of our deputies and the strong collaboration between our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, dangerous drugs were removed from our streets, and an offender was held accountable for his actions. We remain committed to working alongside our partners at every level to keep Dixie County safe.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office conducted the joint investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James A. McCain prosecuted the case in the Northern District of Florida.
In the separate Lake County case, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe of the Middle District of Florida announced the Munguia sentence. Court records show that between January and December 2023, Munguia illegally straw-purchased multiple firearms, falsely indicating on mandatory background paperwork that he was the actual buyer. He had been paid to purchase the weapons on behalf of someone else.
Nine of the firearms Munguia purchased — along with other weapons — were intercepted by United States Customs and Border Protection on May 27, 2023, when another individual attempted to transport them from Eagle Pass, Texas, across the border into Mexico. Authorities seized those firearms less than a month after Munguia had bought them.
A subsequent records check by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revealed that between January and November 2023, Munguia purchased 44 firearms for a total of $23,334.25 — an amount representing approximately two-thirds of his reported annual income. His purchases frequently involved multiple identical firearms of the same model and caliber. Munguia pleaded guilty on January 26, 2026, before United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber.
The Munguia investigation was conducted by ATF, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson prosecuted the case.
Both sentences were handed down as the Department of Justice continues to expand Operation Take Back America prosecutions across Florida’s three federal districts. Additional cases under the initiative are expected on the Northern District’s docket in the coming weeks.