Charles Lewis Madison Jr. Gets 6.5 Years for 7 Guns, Cocaine

Convicted felon Charles Lewis Madison Jr., 35, of Ocala, is headed to federal prison for six years and six months after being caught with seven firearms, stolen weapons, and cocaine during a May 2016 raid. The sentence, handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges, marks the latest takedown in the federal crackdown on gun violence in Florida’s Middle District.

On May 11, 2016, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Madison’s Ocala residence. The moment officers appeared, Madison bolted on foot—only to be caught moments later. What they found inside his home and car painted the picture of a man living on the edge: two of the seven recovered firearms had been reported stolen, alongside approximately 70 rounds of ammunition, baggies of cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.

Madison admitted that all the firearms, the ammo, and the narcotics were his. But as a previously convicted federal felon—twice over, for drug distribution and illegal firearm possession—he’s legally barred from owning or possessing any weapon or ammunition. That history turned a possession charge into a serious federal crime.

The investigation was a multi-agency operation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with support from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Police Department, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr. prosecuted the case, ensuring Madison faced the full weight of federal law.

This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s nationwide “Project Safe Neighborhoods” initiative, aimed at slashing gun violence through targeted enforcement and collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies. U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, and ATF Special Agent in Charge Daryl R. McCrary are leading the charge in Florida’s Middle District.

It’s also a direct hit under the ATF’s Frontline strategy—designed to dismantle violent offenders before they can ignite more chaos. Madison’s arrest and sentence send a clear message: repeat felons caught with guns won’t get a pass in Ocala—just a one-way ticket to federal prison.