Jesus Rivas, Ammunition Possession, Florida 2022

Tampa, FL – In a shocking turn of events, Jesus Rivas, a 29-year-old Tampa resident, has been sentenced to eight years and four months in federal prison for unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on November 22, 2021, just after midnight, Tampa Police Department officers observed a silver Infiniti use the shoulder of the road to illegally pass another car. The officers activated their police emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and the Infiniti pulled over to the side of the road.

As officers approached the car on foot, the Infiniti fled from the scene, and the officers radioed out a description of the car and the events that had just occurred. Another TPD officer was in the area, heard the radio call, and observed two men walking away from a silver Infiniti that had just been parked. The officer looked inside the silver Infiniti and saw a firearm poking out from under the driver’s seat and radioed his findings.

The officers from the earlier traffic stop responded to the scene and saw the two men walking, approached them. Rivas was one of the two men. During an interview with the officers, Rivas admitted that he had been driving the silver Infiniti and that he had fled from the scene.

During a search of the silver vehicle, officers located a ghost gun – a firearm that is assembled from different parts of firearms – loaded with 22 rounds of Blazer ammunition under the driver’s seat. After collecting a DNA sample from Rivas and swabbing the found gun for a comparable, forensic testing determined that the samples matched.

As a previously convicted felon, Rivas is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

In sentencing Rivas, U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell stated that the defendant’s actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law and put the community at risk. Rivas pleaded guilty on November 4, 2022.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant Name: Jesus Rivas

Exact Criminal Charges: Unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon

City and State: Tampa, Florida

Exact Date: November 22, 2021

Sentence or Outcome: Eight years and four months in federal prison

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