Orlando, Florida resident and Indie Weapons proprietor Lawrence Michael DeStefano desires his 50,000 New York prospects to know he won’t ever surrender their names, despite the fact that New York State Legal professional Normal Leticia James has threatened to place him in jail for greater than 500 years if he doesn’t comply instantly and furnish their private info and buy historical past.
As we first reported final week, DeStefano has been held in Florida’s Orange County Jail for practically 90 days. He could possibly be taken to New York’s notorious Rikers Island any day.
“I’ll by no means inform Letitia James who purchased my weapons,” DeStefano mentioned Sunday night time from the Orange County jail. “I care about my prospects. They need to know I’ll by no means flip over their buyer information. That’s why James went prison, however I’ll by no means give them up. They’re regulation abiding residents and don’t want to fret.”
DeStefano’s agency Indie Weapons was one in all 10 self-built arms sellers James focused as a result of they allegedly shipped gun components kits to New York. The opposite 9 corporations handed over their buyer information to James, DeStefano mentioned, however he refused. As a substitute, he determined to battle James and her unconstitutional out-of-state requests.
Two New York State detectives accompanied ATF brokers in October, once they executed search warrants of DeStefano’s residence and rental properties. The ATF brokers seized 68 gadgets from DeStefano’s residence—together with $500,0000 price of gold Krugerrands and $110,000 in money—however took 1000’s of gun-parts kits from his rental properties. Greater than 100 typed pages have been wanted to record all the gadgets seized from DeStefano. Most have been Polymer 80 kits.
DeStefano has bought his “self-built arms” kits to prospects in all 50 states, however New York is the one state the place he ever encountered authorized issues.
On Nov. 12, 2025, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a letter and despatched it to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, charging DeStefano with 71 state crimes, which complete 521 years behind bars.
They included:
1 depend of Conspiracy within the Fourth Diploma
2 counts of Sale of a Legal Firearm within the First Diploma
39 counts of Legal Sale of a Firearm within the Third Diploma
28 counts of Manufacture, Transport, Disposition and Defacement of Weapons and Harmful Home equipment
1 depend of Legal Sale of a Body or Receiver within the Second Diploma
On December 5, 2025, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded with a letter despatched to all Florida Sheriffs and different peace officers within the state, commanding them to arrest DeStefano, who was already in custody.
DeSantis didn’t reply to calls or emails looking for to know why he ordered DeStefano’s arrest.
That is definitely not the primary time DeStefano and James have battled publicly.
After James gained a $7.8 million civil lawsuit in opposition to him—DeStefano didn’t go to New York for the case—he expressed his outrage over social media.
“I had round 15,000 followers on Instagram, however a couple of days after my posts I had a quarter-million followers,” DeStefano mentioned. “They shortly shut down my Instagram account.”
He expects to be extradited to New York inside the coming days, however he’s extra involved about his prospects, who he mentioned could also be worrying about what’s going to occur subsequent.
Stated DeStefano: “I care about my prospects. They don’t want to fret. Gun privateness to me is sacrosanct, similar to confession. Please inform all of my 50,000 prospects in New York that they don’t have to cover something. Please reassure them that they don’t have to be scared. I’ll die in jail earlier than I ever give them up.”
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About Lee Williams
Lee Williams, who’s also called “The Gun Author,” is the chief editor of the Second Modification Basis’s Investigative Journalism Mission. Till lately, he was additionally an editor for a every day newspaper in Florida. Earlier than changing into an editor, Lee was an investigative reporter at newspapers in three states and a U.S. Territory. Earlier than changing into a journalist, he labored as a police officer. Earlier than changing into a cop, Lee served within the Military. He’s earned greater than a dozen nationwide journalism awards as a reporter, and three medals of valor as a cop. Lee is an avid tactical shooter.
