Ocala, Florida – In a federal prison sentence, a Citrus County man has been handed down four years and four months in prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon and for possessing a National Firearms Act (NFA) firearm.
Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II handed down the sentence to Christopher Lawrence Leslie, a 25-year-old Homosassa resident, on an unspecified date. Leslie had previously pleaded guilty to the charges on December 15, 2021, after being indicted on November 9, 2021.
According to court documents, on October 19, 2021, deputies from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary call at a property where Leslie was residing. During the investigation, the deputies discovered Leslie, a convicted felon, in possession of three firearms—a revolver, a rifle with a scope, and a sawed-off, bolt-action rifle—as well as assorted ammunition. The bolt-action rifle had an overall length of approximately 20 inches and a barrel length of approximately 10 inches, making it an NFA firearm (short-barreled rifle).
As a convicted felon, Leslie is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. The recovered firearms and ammunition belonged to him, according to Leslie’s own admission after his arrest.
Leslie’s case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr. Leslie was ordered to forfeit the firearms and ammunition associated with the offenses.
The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Mandatory Facts:
1. Defendant/respondent REAL full name: Christopher Lawrence Leslie
2. Exact criminal charges: Possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon and for possessing a National Firearms Act (NFA) firearm
3. City and state: Ocala, Florida
4. EXACT DATE with month/day/year: November 9, 2021 (indictment date)
5. Sentence or outcome: Four years and four months in federal prison
6. Dollar amounts where applicable: Not applicable
Related Federal Cases
- Christopher Helmick, Child Abuse Material Possession, Ohio 2023 · Texas
- Lindsey Hayes, Felon in Possession of Ammunition, Greensboro NC, 2024 · North Carolina
- Florida Man, Assaulting Law Enforcement, Washington DC, 2021 · Wisconsin
- Janice Martina Mason, Voluntary Manslaughter, Florida, 2023 · Maryland
- FBI Florida Offices, No Title or Defendant Mentioned, Florida, 2023 · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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