Federal jury finds Columbia County man guilty of knowingly providing a false statement to a Federally Licensed Firearms dealer (DOJ)

Jacksonville, Florida - A federal jury has found Bryan Steven Etheridge (40, Columbia County) guilty of providing a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. Etheridge faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 16, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to evidence presented at trial, on May 10, 2025, Etheridge attempted to purchase a .40 caliber pistol from a firearms dealer in Columbia County. When completing a Firearms Transaction Record (ATF Form 4473), Etheridge knowingly provided a false statement by denying that he was subject to a court order restraining him from stalking, harassing, or threatening an intimate partner or child of an intimate partner. In fact, in 2024, Etheridge's wife and mother of their six children sought a domestic violence injunction against him and the court imposed an injunction through early 2026.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rick Lasseter and David Mesrobian.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.