Tampa Man Sentenced to 15 years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Courtney Garner (31, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Garner pleaded guilty on September 11, 2014.

According to court documents, on November 22, 2013, probation officers conducted a “compliance search” of Garner’s residence. In the master bedroom, they found a loaded firearm and 126 grams of marijuana.  During a further search of the residence, law enforcement officers recovered a second firearm, 64 grams of marijuana, baggies, and a digital scale. At the time, Garner was a convicted felon and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

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 Regina Lombardo, 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 also a part of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.