Convicted murderer pleads guilty to illegal possession of firearms in Marion County

OCALA, Fla. — A convicted murderer on parole in Florida is headed back to jail.

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55-year-old Christopher Richard Munroe pleaded guilty Monday in Florida Federal Court to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

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The charge stems from an incident in November of 2022 when the Ocala Police officers and Marion County Deputies responded to a call from a moving company owner who claimed Munroe had stolen three guns while packing up a customer’s home.

According to court documents, officers arrived to find Munroe crouched down in the bushes nearby. The officers later found the stolen guns and seven magazines of ammunition where Munroe had been hiding.

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According to the State Attorney’s Office, Munroe had previously been convicted of second-degree murder in New York and was released on parole in 2018, making it a violation of federal law for him to possess a firearm. He was officially indicted in December of 2022.

Munroe faces a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison.

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His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 15, 2023.

In addition to the Ocala Police Department and Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program aimed at bringing together various levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

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