JACKSONVILLE, FL – A Clay County man is facing a decade behind bars after a bench trial convicted him of illegally possessing a brutally modified shotgun. Dylan Milton Jarvis, 31, of Orange Park, was found guilty of possessing an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm – a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun – following an investigation sparked by reports of reckless gunfire.
The trouble began on January 11, 2022, around 5:30 pm, when Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responded to calls of shots fired near the bustling Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park. Witnesses described a man, later identified as Jarvis, openly carrying a shotgun and discharging multiple rounds into the air. Deputies quickly located Jarvis in a parking lot and determined he had fired three to four shells from a Harrington & Richardson shotgun before ditching the weapon.
The discarded shotgun, along with several spent shells, was recovered near the parking lot. Jarvis, during questioning by CCSO, readily admitted to illegally altering the firearm. A subsequent investigation conducted jointly by the CCSO and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revealed that Jarvis had indeed sawed off both the barrel and the stock of the 12-gauge shotgun, rendering it a prohibited weapon. Crucially, the modified shotgun wasn’t registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, a clear violation of federal law.
Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein, presented the evidence leading to the conviction. Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran is handling the forfeiture proceedings, meaning Jarvis will likely lose the illegal shotgun permanently if sentenced. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, headed by Roger B. Handberg, is prosecuting the case. Jarvis is set to learn his fate on July 24, 2023, where he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
This case isn’t being treated as an isolated incident. It’s part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN) initiative, a broad program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering collaboration between law enforcement at all levels and the communities they serve. The program emphasizes building trust, supporting community organizations, and focusing enforcement efforts on the most pressing threats.
The ATF’s Tampa Field Division played a vital role in the investigation. While the details of the initial incident remain disturbing, the swift response and thorough investigation by both the CCSO and the ATF have removed a dangerous, illegally modified weapon – and a dangerous individual – from the streets of Clay County. The case serves as a stark reminder that possessing unregistered, modified firearms carries severe consequences under federal law.
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