Miami Courant

MIAMI – Robert Zildjian Mondragon, 31, of Margate, Florida, was sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after being convicted of making a false statement during a firearm purchase and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas handed down the sentence today during a hearing in Fort Lauderdale.

According to court findings, on April 9, 2024, Mondragon falsely stated on an ATF Firearms Transaction Record (Form 4473) on June 18, 2019, that he was not an unlawful user of marijuana. The false statement was made in connection with the attempted purchase of a Radical Arms rifle in Miami and was material to the legality of the sale. Form 4473 includes a warning that marijuana use or possession remains a federal violation regardless of state laws regarding legalization or decriminalization for medical purposes. Mondragon had previously established a years-long pattern of unlawful marijuana use.

On November 14, 2021, Mondragon was photographed with another firearm. Additionally, his phone contained references to marijuana use on seventy-one days the previous year.

Court filings revealed further information about Mondragon’s conduct and background. Since 2013, he has made multiple threats to commit mass shootings. Following the enactment of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act by the Florida Legislature in 2018—which allows law enforcement to seek court orders restricting firearm possession by individuals posing dangers—City of Coral Springs officers obtained a temporary risk protection order against Mondragon on March 29, 2018. This order remained effective when he attempted to purchase a firearm in June 2019.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the ATF Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office announced the sentencing.

The case was investigated by ATF and BSO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita White and Ajay Alexander. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program aimed at reducing violent crime through evidence-based strategies involving law enforcement and community stakeholders.

For more information or related court documents under case number 23-cr-60196, visit www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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