JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Braden Hobbs, 28, of Ponte Vedra, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to traffic firearms, making materially false statements to a licensed firearms dealer and conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
Hobbs was also convicted of distributing 500 grams or more of cocaine, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
The investigation into Hobbs began after law enforcement agencies recovered several firearms he had purchased during separate investigations, the news release states. The recovered firearms were found at the homes of convicted felons and drug dealers, prompting further inquiry into Hobbs, the news release states.
Between March 2022 and June 2024 agents discovered that Hobbs purchased at least 121 firearms from three federally licensed firearms dealers in Jacksonville and 67 of those firearms were bought between January and June 2024, the news release states.
Hobbs then sold those firearms to other individuals including undercover agents who purchased 11 firearms from two co-conspirators, Alton Cope III and Jayden Cope, the news release states.
Hobbs was identified as the original purchaser of multiple firearms later sold by the Copes. Cellphone records confirmed that Jayden Cope regularly bought firearms from Hobbs. Customers typically paid Hobbs in cash for the firearms and he also exchanged drugs for weapons, according to the news release. Hobbs was aware that some of his customers intended to resell the firearms, were drug users or were drug distributors. He also enlisted co-conspirators to help find buyers, with co-conspirators advertising his firearms for sale. Hobbs made false statements on federal forms, indicating on the required ATF Form 4473 that he was the actual buyer and not a user of or addicted to controlled substances.
Hobbs routinely advertised controlled substances for sale and coordinated narcotics transactions, often selling drugs to the same individuals who purchased firearms from him. He bragged to others that he “deal” in firearms, calling himself “Mr. Cocaine addict firearms trafficker,” the news release states.
Records show Hobbs generated more than $200,000 in illegal proceeds in less than 36 months, despite not being a federally licensed firearms dealer as required by law. On June 26, 2024, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested Hobbs for driving under the influence and trafficking in cocaine, the news release states. During a search of his car, officers recovered more than 200 grams of cocaine, 17 grams of Adderall and various items used to package and distribute controlled substances. In related court proceedings, co-conspirator Alton Cope III was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and conspiring to deal in firearms without a license. Jayden Cope received a six-year sentence for conspiring to deal in firearms without a license and unlawful receipt of a firearm after being indicted.
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