PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — A federal jury convicted a Port St. Lucie man on conspiracy to export United States defense articles and attempted smuggling of defense articles. Contact online >>
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — A federal jury convicted a Port St. Lucie man on conspiracy to export United States defense articles and attempted smuggling of defense articles.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Gabriel Donato-Mendez's conviction on November 20 stems from his purchase of over 150 AR-15 kits between 2018 and 2019, which he intended to export to Costa Rica without the necessary licenses.
According to court documents, on March 4, 2019, Donato-Mendez transported at least 84 of the AR-15 kits from a store in Daytona to a freight forwarder for export. At the time, AR-15s and their components were classified as "defense articles" on the United States Munitions List, requiring a license from the Department of State''s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls for export. Neither Donato-Mendez nor his known conspirators possessed such a license.
See also: WATCH: Suspect shot by deputies after swinging sword around children in Central Florida
Donato-Mendez is scheduled to be sentenced on February 7, 2025, in Miami. He faces up to 10 years in prison for the attempted smuggling charge and five years for the conspiracy charge.
The investigation was conducted by HSI Miami, HSI Fort Pierce, and ATF Fort Pierce, with assistance from the Costa Rican Organismo de Investigación Judicial and the U.S. Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.
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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A Port St. Lucie man faces a lengthy prison sentence after he was convicted of attempting to smuggle items used to assemble AR-15 firearms, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Authorities said in a written statement Friday that a federal jury on Nov. 20 convicted Gabriel Donato-Mendez, 48, of conspiracy to export United States defense articles and of attempted smuggling of defense articles.
According to the DOJ, over a six-month span in 2018 and 2019, Donato-Mendez bought more than 150 AR-15 "kits" which consisted of the pieces required to make AR-15 firearms after minor drilling and assembly.
On March 4, 2019, prosecutors said Donato-Mendez brought at least 84 AR-15 kits from a store in Daytona Beach, Florida, to a freight forwarder where the kits were destined to be exported to Costa Rica.
In 2019, AR-15s and their parts were on the United States Munitions List as "defense articles" and required a license from the Department of State''s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls to be exported.
Officials said neither Donato-Mendez nor any of his known conspirators possessed a license to export AR-15 kits from the U.S.
Donato-Mendez is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7 in Miami. He faces up to 10 years on the attempted smuggling count and five years on the conspiracy count.
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Southern District of Florida
On Nov. 1, Michael John Pellicione, 76, the owner of a Port St. Lucie gun shop who operated out of his residence, was arraigned on a federal indictment charging him...
A felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 144 months in prison, following a shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall (The Gardens Mall) on Valentine''s Day.
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The Surf & Sand Hotel in Pensacola Beach, Florida, has commissioned a 330-panel rooftop solar array designed to offset nearly half of the beachfront hotel’s energy use.
The solar installation also should reduce its carbon footprint by half. It is the first solar-powered hotel on Pensacola Beach, according to a statement released by the hotel’s owner.
The array is grid tied, allowing the hotel to take advantage of Florida Power and Light’s net metering policies. The system does not include battery energy storage, so the hotel will use grid power overnight and during adverse weather conditions when the solar panels can’t meet demand.
It is expected that the solar system will produce 235 MWh per year, nearly half of the hotel’s typical consumption of 490 MWh, saving the hotel around $48,000 in annual energy costs.
With award-winning beaches and historic charm, Pensacola Beach, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, is a top vacation destination.
The property, which has 100 rooms and is located across the street from the famed Pensacola Pier, is owned by Innisfree Hotels, one of the largest beachfront hotel owner-operators on the Gulf Coast.
“By transitioning away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy, this project is reducing carbon emissions, contributing to improved air quality and demonstrating that Innisfree is a leader in sustainability,” said Bethanne Edwards, director of sustainability at Innisfree Hotels.
Innisfree owns or manages more than two dozen properties in Florida and the southeastern U.S. This is the first solar installation the company has completed, and Innisfree said in a statement that it represents a major milestone in achieving the company’s sustainability goals.
The company is evaluating similar projects for its other properties.
“The solar project helps us deliver on our triple bottom line commitment where success is determined by how well we protect the planet while serving people and communities,” said Edwards.
The hospitality industry is increasingly investing in sustainability initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint and meet guest demands. While Innisfree has opted to invest in just solar at the Surf & Sand, other chains are adding energy storage and microgrid controls.
Hilton and Marriott have both opted to install microgrids at select locations. For example, Hilton invested in a grid-tied microgrid that includes a solar carport and energy storage at its Hotel Marcel in Connecticut.
In Costa Rica, Marriott built a 250-kW solar-powered microgrid that includes battery storage and a backup generator at its Hacienda Belen property.
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