TAMPA, FL – Demetrius Lamar Rahmings, 28, is headed to federal prison for a decade after being convicted of possessing a loaded firearm despite a long history of violent offenses. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle handed down the 10-year sentence Friday, along with an order for Rahmings to forfeit the Taurus G2C 9mm pistol and 19 rounds of ammunition seized during his arrest.
The bust went down in October 2020. Rahmings was already a wanted man, with multiple warrants outstanding for violent crimes in state court. A joint operation between the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the Tampa Police Department located him at a Tampa residence known to be a hangout for his associates. When officers moved in, Rahmings bolted, ditching a bookbag as he scrambled inside the house and hid in a bedroom.
Inside that bookbag, law enforcement found more than just schoolbooks. A Taurus 9mm handgun with an extended magazine packed with 19 rounds was discovered, alongside plastic baggies, a digital scale, and an orange ski mask – hinting at further criminal activity. The find was particularly damning considering Rahmings’ extensive criminal past. He’d already racked up convictions in Florida for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a weapon, aggravated battery, and – ironically – possession of a firearm as a felon, all in 2013. More recently, he’d been convicted of fleeing to elude law enforcement in 2019.
Rahmings had only been out of the Florida Department of Corrections for a mere eight months, released on February 5, 2020, when he allegedly re-offended. Federal law clearly prohibits convicted felons like Rahmings from possessing firearms or ammunition. The bench trial, which concluded May 30th, evidently proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he violated that law.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Tampa Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shauna S. Hale prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a broad initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through coordinated law enforcement and community engagement.
The PSN program focuses on building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, prioritizing strategic enforcement, and meticulously measuring the results. While the program’s long-term impact remains to be seen, the Rahmings case serves as a stark reminder that those who illegally possess firearms – especially individuals with extensive violent histories – will face serious consequences under federal law. The ten-year sentence sends a clear message: Tampa’s streets will not be a playground for armed felons.
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