Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Firearm Possession
A Jacksonville man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, according to federal authorities.
Daniel Francesco Vidal, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan on [August 6, 2018] in connection with his guilty plea to the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The sentence also includes the forfeiture of a Walther PPK pistol that Vidal had possessed.
The charges stem from Vidal’s involvement in a series of incidents that took place in 2017 and 2018, including his possession of multiple firearms and large quantities of marijuana.
Vidal, who has a prior record of 10 felony convictions, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
He was initially arrested on March 12, 2017, after a traffic stop by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) on Interstate 95. During the stop, officers found a Walther PPK pistol, along with drug packaging and paraphernalia consistent with marijuana trafficking.
Over the next several months, Vidal was involved in multiple incidents, including a May 2017 incident in which he contacted the JSO for service and two JSO patrol officers responded to his home, where they found two additional firearms in plain view.
On July 25, 2017, JSO officers attempting to execute a federal arrest warrant for Vidal encountered him driving a pickup truck on Interstate 95 in Jacksonville. During the stop, Vidal intentionally rammed JSO vehicles and attempted to flee on foot. He was apprehended and a search of his truck revealed several pounds of marijuana and approximately $37,000, as well as a gun safe in the bed of the truck.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor as part of the Department of Justice’s ‘Project Safe Neighborhoods’ Program, a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.
The Jacksonville man’s sentencing is the latest in a string of convictions as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which involves a comprehensive approach to public safety, including investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts.
Mandatory Facts:
- Defendant: Daniel Francesco Vidal
- Criminal Charge: Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
- City-State: Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: August 6, 2018
- Sentence: 10 years in federal prison, forfeiture of a Walther PPK pistol
- Dollar Amount: Approximately $37,000
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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