Christopher Sergo Denis, Felon in Possession of Firearm and Cocaine, Florida 2018

Christopher Sergo Denis, 28, of North Lauderdale, is headed to federal prison for 77 months after being sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of cocaine. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn, includes 3 years of supervised release on the gun charge and a concurrent 12-month term with 1 year of supervision for the drug offense.

Denis’s downfall began with a Facebook video he posted on September 15, 2018, titled “Wild Wild West,” showing him firing three different firearms at a local gun range. A sharp-eyed Broward County Sheriff’s Office detective spotted the post and flagged it to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF agents confirmed Denis’s presence at the range and obtained video evidence of him discharging the weapons—evidence that would later seal his fate in court.

By October 18, 2018, Denis was under arrest outside a courtroom at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, where he had shown up for a state criminal hearing. During the takedown, conducted by ATF and BSO detectives, authorities found a small container in his pocket containing fourteen zip-lock bags, each packed with a small amount of cocaine. The discovery added a federal drug charge to his growing list of legal troubles.

Convicted under Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) for firearm possession as a felon, and Title 21, United States Code, Section 844 for cocaine possession, Denis now faces hard time in a federal penitentiary. The charges carry mandatory minimums and reflect the government’s relentless push to remove weapons and drugs from the hands of repeat offenders.

This case emerged from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative reinvigorated in 2017 to combat violent crime through coordinated local, state, and federal law enforcement action. PSN focuses on identifying and prosecuting violent offenders, especially those illegally wielding firearms, to disrupt cycles of violence in high-risk communities.

U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan praised the work of ATF and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, calling the outcome a victory for public safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Shockley prosecuted the case. Court documents are available via the Southern District of Florida’s public docket at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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