FLORIDA –– A Lake Helen man has been sentenced to federal prison for selling firearms without a license, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO) has announced.
U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron sentenced Charles Edward Palmatier, 74, of Lake Helen, to one year and one day in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license, the USAO said. Palmatier pleaded guilty on September 7, 2022.
According to court documents, on July 28, 2021, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) met with Palmatier and explained that if he wanted to continue to sell firearms, he would have to apply for a Federal Firearms License (FFL). Reportedly, despite that meeting, Palmatier continued to sell firearms at the Volusia Flea Market in Deland, Florida.
The ATF, along with the Volusia Bureau of Investigation (VBI), began investigating Palmatier and reportedly conducted multiple controlled purchases from Palmatier at the Volusia Flea Market from February 2, 2022, through June 8, 2022. Allegedly, at least two of the firearms purchased from Palmatier were subsequently linked to usage in two separate crimes.
Palmatier reportedly admitted that he would profit $50 to $75 per firearm that he sold.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Volusia Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.
