Deltona Felon Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron sentenced Olajuwon Perry (28, Deltona) today to seven years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Perry pleaded guilty on June 24, 2014.

According to court documents, on December 23, 2012, in Sanford, Perry drove a Chevrolet Lumina in a reckless manner and failed to stop at a stop sign. When deputies from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop him, Perry drove the car into the front yard of a residence. Perry, the sole occupant of the vehicle, exited and ran inside the residence. Deputies recovered a loaded AK-47 firearm from the front passenger seat of the vehicle. Perry claimed that he had not been driving the vehicle; however, authorities found his fingerprints in the car.

Perry had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses prior to this incident, including convictions for robbery and battery upon a person 65 years or older. As such, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Trevor Velinor, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.