FORT MYERS, FL – Edward James Bess III, 29, is facing over three decades behind bars after being sentenced to 33 years and four months in federal prison for a brutal carjacking spree that left one victim seriously wounded. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell, comes after Bess pleaded guilty in July to charges including carjacking causing serious bodily injury, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and carjacking.
The nightmare began on November 24, 2021, when Bess confronted a man in the parking lot of a Cleveland Avenue business. Brandishing a Cobra model CA380, .380 firearm, Bess demanded the victim’s keys. When the victim attempted to access his own firearm for self-defense, Bess opened fire, striking the man in the lower abdomen. Undeterred, Bess then stole the victim’s truck, only to abandon it shortly after along I-75 in Sumter County.
The same night, Bess escalated his rampage, targeting another victim at a Wildwood hotel. Again wielding a firearm, he demanded the victim’s wallet, phone, and car keys, fleeing in the stolen SUV. Sumter County Sheriff’s Office deputies quickly responded, initiating a high-speed chase that ended only after Bess crashed the vehicle through a fence and into a wooded area. Bess eventually surrendered to deputies.
Investigators quickly connected Bess to both carjackings. A search uncovered the .380 Cobra near the site of the chase, though initially without a magazine. The missing magazine was later found under the driver’s seat of the stolen SUV. Ballistic testing confirmed that a .380 casing recovered from the Fort Myers shooting matched a test-fired cartridge from the recovered firearm. DNA evidence found inside the first stolen truck, and on items left behind, further cemented Bess’s guilt.
The case was a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Reichling spearheaded the prosecution. The court also ordered Bess to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the crimes.
Federal authorities highlighted that this prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. The Department of Justice is emphasizing trust-building with communities, supporting local violence prevention organizations, and prioritizing strategic enforcement to make neighborhoods safer. Bess’s lengthy sentence sends a clear message that such violent acts will not be tolerated.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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