Fort Myers, Fla. — A Lehigh Acres man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for the 2022 shooting of the Lee County vendor known as “the hot dog guy.”
In June, then-25-year-old James Gonzalez was seen running into a wooded area after a Lee County deputy heard gunshots near the corner of Homestead Road and Milwaukee Boulevard. Gonzalez was quickly apprehended after a K-9 deputy was able to locate him.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the victim, Kelvis Maiguel, was running his hot-dog stand — Ceberiano’s Hot Dogs & More — when he was shot in the chest by Gonzalez during an attempted robbery. Maiguel, who was 27 at the time, was in critical condition and needed surgery.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘I thought he was dead,’ says mother of Lehigh hot dog vendor shot
Gonzalez was charged with Aggravated Battery with a Firearm and Attempted Robbery while Possessing a Firearm.
He was sentenced to 15 years for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon but was given credit for time served for Resisting/Obstructing and Officer without Violence.
Gonzalez was also found guilty in a 2022 drug trafficking case. His charges will run concurrently with the robbery and battery charges and include the following:
- Trafficking in Fentanyl – 4 grams or more: 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine
- Trafficking in Amphetamine: 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine
- Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon: 15 years in prison
- Possession of a Controlled Substance: 5 years in prison
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