FLORIDA — A Jacksonville man has been booked on multiple charges including illegal possession of a firearms silencer as police say he was planing a mass shooting at an Islamic Center.
The FBI has now been given custody of suspect Bernardino Gawala Bolatete, 69 years old. Officials said in a news conference Monday the arrest came following a tip from a citizen.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint, on November 27, 2017, Bolatete asked for assistance in purchasing a firearm silencer from an undercover detective from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Bolatete specified that, to avoid government scrutiny, he did not want any paperwork associated with the sale. On December 1, 2017, Bolatete took possession of a silencer after the undercover detective sold it to him for $100 and he was subsequently arrested.
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