Evergreen Reporter

U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Peter Alexander Lawrence, 42, of Jacksonville, to 18 months in federal prison for making false statements and representations to a federally licensed firearms dealer. Lawrence entered a guilty plea on April 23, 2024.

According to court documents, in March 2023, Lawrence completed an ATF Form 4473 while attempting to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer. On the form, Lawrence indicated that he had not been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison and that he had never been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Both statements were false. Specifically, in 2008, Lawrence was convicted and sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for various firearms offenses, and in 2018, he was convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence; setting focused enforcement priorities; and measuring results.