JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Ponte Vedra man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for trafficking firearms, making false statements during firearm purchases and conspiring to distribute cocaine and other controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger sentenced Braden Huston Hobbs, 28, after he was convicted of conspiracy to traffic firearms, making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including 500 grams or more of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced.
According to court records, federal agents began investigating Hobbs after several firearms he had purchased were recovered during unrelated law enforcement investigations. Authorities said the weapons were found in the possession of drug dealers and a convicted felon.
Investigators also determined that undercover agents purchased 11 firearms from Hobbs’ co-conspirators, Alton Wayne Cope III and Jayden Lance Cope. Multiple firearms sold by the Copes had originally been purchased by Hobbs, and cellphone records showed Jayden Cope regularly obtained firearms from him.
The investigation found that between March 2022 and June 2024, Hobbs purchased at least 121 firearms from three federally licensed firearms dealers in Jacksonville. Sixty-seven of those firearms were purchased during the first six months of 2024.
Prosecutors said Hobbs routinely advertised firearms for sale before purchasing them from licensed dealers, then sold them to customers for cash or in exchange for drugs. Authorities said he knew some buyers were drug users, drug traffickers or intended to resell the firearms.
Investigators also found Hobbs referred to himself as someone who “deal[s]” in firearms and boasted he was “Mr. Cocaine addict firearms trafficker.” Financial records indicated he generated more than $200,000 in illegal proceeds in less than three years.
Although Hobbs was engaged in the business of selling firearms, prosecutors said he did not possess the federal firearms license required under federal law. When purchasing firearms from licensed dealers, he falsely certified on ATF Form 4473 that he was the actual buyer of the firearms and that he was not an unlawful user of controlled substances.
Authorities said both statements were false because Hobbs intended to resell the firearms and was a habitual user and distributor of controlled substances, including cocaine and Adderall.
On June 26, 2024, Hobbs was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on charges of driving under the influence and cocaine trafficking. During a search of his vehicle, officers recovered more than 200 grams of cocaine, approximately 17 grams of Adderall and materials used to package and distribute narcotics.
In related cases, co-conspirator Alton Wayne 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 firearms without a license. Jayden Lance Cope was sentenced to six years in federal prison for conspiring to deal firearms without a license and unlawfully receiving a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, the North Florida HIDTA Tri-County Narcotics Task Force, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisibeth Adams prosecuted the case.
Because Braden Huston Hobbs has been convicted and sentenced, the case has been adjudicated.