He was going to export two boats to Honduras. Then came a stolen gun from the past
Last month, Darwin David Gaugh planned to export two fishing boats he bought in Fort Myers to buyers in Honduras by way of Key West.
Before he could do so, he needed permission from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. On March 8, he went to the agency’s Key West office to explain his intentions and to obtain the proper paper work.
He didn’t realize he had just opened the door to a legal nightmare that could end with him serving up to 25 years in federal prison, according to court records.
A Customs inspector went with him to see the boats that were docked at a Stock Island marina. While inside the cabin of one of the vessel’s, the inspector noticed a white U.S. Postal Service box sitting on a shelf. He asked Gaugh, 40, what was inside the package.
His response, according to a U.S. Homeland Security Investigations criminal complaint: “It’s a pistol. I’m [expletive meaning he’s in trouble].”
The inspector opened the box and found a 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun and ammunition, the complaint states.
Gaugh isn’t allowed to own a gun because he was convicted of felony hit-and-run in 2009, according to the complaint. A Miami-Dade County judge sentenced him to two years in prison and three years of probation in that case, according to court records.
That wasn’t the only issue with the weapon, federal agents said. It was reported stolen to the Miami-Dade County Police Department in October 2006.
An Homeland Security Investigations agent was called to the dock to interview Gaugh. According to the complaint, after being read his rights, he told the agent he bought the gun off a man on the street for $300.
He said he knew it was stolen, “but that it wasn’t linked to any murders,” the agent wrote in the complaint. Gaugh told the agent he intended to bring the weapon with him when he delivered the vessels to Central America, the complaint states.
Federal prosecutors Thursday charged Gaugh with one count each of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of a stolen firearm.
The former charge is punishable for up to 15 years in prison, and the latter, 10 years. For each charge, a judge could impose a $250,000 fine, according to the charging document.
Gaugh. who lives in Port St. Lucie, according to court records, was released from federal custody March 10 after posting a $100,000 bond.
“We’re very confident that Darwin will receive a fair prosecution and that we will achieve a just result for Darwin and his family,” attorney David Tarras said in a statement Thursday. “Darwin is a father of four, a devoted husband, and a blue-collar worker. His defense team has worked closely with the government from the beginning.”
