Phillip Nemeth
New Member
Okay this will be my third time typing this but I'm going to sum the story up I'm in Pasco county Florida I'm at my father's house which is located in a development that the minimum land is one acre per land in his is roughly 1.5 acres. I was advised by law enforcement anything over then an acre you can shoot into a berm which I was doing a neighbor claimed a round hit their house they didn't know where it came from and did not witness me or even point me out or blame me. So the officer was going door to door in the neighborhood and has asked several people before entering my property. When he entered my father's property the house is somewhat vacant as it's being renovated I am in the back of the house away from the view of the street in any way and there's a no trespassing private property sign posted on the tree right at the entrance of the driveway. The police officer disregarded the sign enter the property walked down the long driveway until he saw me around the back of the house in the pool. The picture with the backpack is my location at this time. He sees my rifle which is an AR-15 on the pool edge because I was calling off and relaxing before I went back home so I just rest it here before loading everything else up and heading home. He spotted it asked me today not touch it to exit at the pool which I did ask me if the firearm is mine I said yes and if it's loaded I said yes the safety is on but it is chambered so he cleared the round I made it safe handed me the magazine to hold and asked me if I was shooting I said yes about an hour ago only a few rounds cuz I was about to leave and I showed him the berm and he agrees with me there's no way this house could have been struck by even a ricochet. So they did find the round and we're able to retrieve it and for argument's sake I know for a million percent fact it's not mine I don't want to explain why but I know it's not so they kept my firearm which has a suppressor which is unregistered on it. I did not know the legal ramification of this until now which is why I'm very scared. I explained to the officer I ordered it online and I had no idea the legal procedures that were needed in Florida. He didn't seem too concerned said I think they're going to give me a ticket for that at a later time and I agreed if I wasn't aware of the law that's fine with me just let me know. So I didn't receive any tickets at the time any citations nothing no arrest no warnings even. They just confiscated my firearm and went on their way and let me go. My question is am I in fear of 10-year prison sentence from the ATF as I research online and that's what I could be facing for not knowing what I was doing. Or are they going to be forced to give it back to me since they entered the property illegally with no suspicion of me they didn't even know if somebody was here so they can't use the probable cause as there was no witness or anything saying it was me they didn't even know if I was here. I cooperated and didn't give him a hard time nothing so I don't mind surrending the item that's illegal because I wasn't aware but I would like my firearm back. What kind of situation am I looking at? Again for argument's sake the round that they found is not mine so when they discover for sure it is not my round that struck the house am I still in trouble for having them enter the property with the sign posted and or are they able to do whatever they want and just enter anyway and take my gun?
