Javonte Keyon Whitfield, Unlawfully Possessing Loaded Rifle, Florida 2021

FORT MYERS, FL — In a brazen display of disregard for the law, Javonte Keyon Whitfield, 25, of Fort Myers, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded rifle.

According to court documents, Whitfield, a previously convicted felon, had been released from prison approximately five months earlier. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

The crime occurred on May 14, 2021, when officers from the Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) responded to multiple gunshots near the intersection of Linhart Avenue and Evans Avenue in Fort Myers. During the investigation, officers discovered a loaded NORINCO SKS rifle equipped with a high-capacity magazine from under the bed in one of the two bedrooms of a duplex on Evans Avenue.

Whitfield's fingerprints were found on the metallic bayonet of the rifle, linking him to the crime. A search of the residence revealed seven unsecured firearms, multiple high-capacity magazines, dozens of rounds of ammunition, and cocaine.

Whitfield was found guilty by a federal jury on May 11, 2023. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in the community. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth and Patrick L. Darcey.

Whitfield's sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of violating federal law. As a convicted felon, he was aware of the risks of possessing a firearm, and yet he chose to disregard those risks. His sentence should serve as a warning to others who would follow in his footsteps.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/fort-myers-felon-headed-back-prison-unlawfully-possessing-loaded-rifle