FORT MYERS, FL – Christopher Jorge Ponce, 37, of Naples, is headed back to federal prison after receiving a six year and ten month sentence for being a convicted felon illegally in possession of a loaded firearm. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell delivered the sentence today, along with an order for Ponce to forfeit the Smith & Wesson and ammunition seized during his arrest.
The case unfolded on December 30, 2022, when a Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a call at a Lehigh Acres gas station. Deputies found Ponce slumped in the driver’s seat of his vehicle, seemingly asleep, with a glass pipe and lighter resting on his lap. A search of the vehicle quickly revealed more than just drug paraphernalia.
Alongside quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, deputies discovered a loaded Smith & Wesson firearm. The weapon was directly linked to Ponce, who, as a previously convicted felon, is federally prohibited from owning or possessing any firearms or ammunition. This wasn’t Ponce’s first run-in with federal firearms charges; he’d already served time for a similar offense.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Simon R. Eth prosecuted the case, building a solid case against Ponce based on the evidence recovered at the scene.
Federal officials are framing the Ponce sentencing as a win for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program designed to unite law enforcement at all levels with local communities to combat violent crime and gun violence. The Department of Justice relaunched a strengthened PSN initiative in May 2021, emphasizing community trust, preventative measures, strategic enforcement, and measurable results.
Ponce pleaded guilty on November 22, 2023. His sentence sends a clear message: those with prior felony convictions who illegally possess firearms will face significant federal penalties. The forfeited firearm will now be subject to disposal through established ATF protocols, removing another weapon from the streets of Southwest Florida.
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