GAINESVILLE, FL – A pre-dawn traffic stop spiraled into a frantic foot chase, ultimately landing Keith Dawayne Puryear, 42, of Gainesville, with an 18-year federal prison sentence. Puryear, a repeat offender with a rap sheet stretching back years, was sentenced December 6, 2022, for possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The incident began just before 3:30 a.m. on April 13, 2022, when a Gainesville Police Department officer spotted Puryear blow through a stop sign.
Instead of complying with a traffic stop, Puryear bolted, ditching his vehicle and sprinting through residential yards with a pistol in hand. A K9 unit tracked him to a backyard doghouse where he was apprehended. Though the firearm wasn’t immediately recovered, officers returned at sunrise to find a stolen, loaded 10-millimeter pistol discarded along Puryear’s escape route. DNA linked him to the weapon. Adding insult to injury, a search revealed a bag containing crack cocaine near one of Puryear’s shoes.
Puryear’s criminal history is extensive, a testament to a life dedicated to breaking the law. His prior convictions include multiple counts of Sale and Possession of Cocaine, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (three times over), Sale and Possession of Cannabis, fleeing from law enforcement (three counts), and Grand Theft Auto. He also has four convictions for driving with a suspended license. U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody, of the Northern District of Florida, emphasized the sentence sends a clear message: federal firearm offenses carry severe consequences.
Just days prior, Alphonso Columbus Richardson, 43, also of Gainesville, received a more than 19.5-year federal prison sentence for the same charge. Richardson’s run-in with the law occurred on January 5, 2022, when an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputy located him driving a relative’s vehicle without permission. Richardson attempted to evade arrest, first by driving through a gas station parking lot, then on foot, but was quickly boxed in by responding deputies.
Richardson’s desperate attempt to flee proved futile, as he became entangled in his seatbelt, hindering his escape. He then made furtive movements back toward the driver’s seat, but was quickly apprehended. The incident, like Puryear’s, highlights the ongoing efforts of the Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative, a collaborative effort between local and federal agencies. Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr., stated his office will “continue to work tirelessly” to eradicate gun violence in the community.
Both sentences include terms of supervised release following their prison terms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a follow-up investigation in the Puryear case. These convictions demonstrate a concerted push by federal authorities to target and remove repeat offenders with access to firearms from the streets of North Florida, even as the region continues to grapple with rising violent crime rates.
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