A 26-year-old Alachua County jail deputy who lives in Ocala was arrested after allegedly falsifying federal records about firearms he purchased in Marion County, one of which was linked to a homicide.
Kenyari Devaughnte Brewton was arrested and charged with eight counts of knowingly causing a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in its official records.
Each count is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to court records, Brewton worked as a detention deputy for the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office until his arrest on August 5, 2021.
According to a criminal complaint, between February 3, 2020, and April 26, 2021, Brewton purchased multiple, identical Glock pistols, AK-47 style pistols, and an AK-47 rifle from a Marion County gun dealer.
The complaint says that while purchasing the firearms, Brewton certified on each ATF Form 4473 (Firearm Transaction Record) that he was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the guns.
According to court records, Brewton “quickly resold [firearms] to ‘unknown’ individuals for a profit.”
The report says that on May 2, 2021, one of the Glock pistols that Brewton sold to another individual was used during a homicide in Marion County.
Brewton purchased the firearm six days earlier from the gun dealer.
A criminal complaint is an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives maintains all Firearms Transaction records for the sale of firearms throughout the United States.
The case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the bureau. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.