Latrel Jackson, Murder-for-Hire, Florida 2024

Tampa, FL – In a shocking turn of events, Latrel Jackson was sentenced to life in federal prison for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire. According to court records, in November 2019, Jackson, along with a co-conspirator (now deceased), traveled from Chicago to Fort Myers to commit murder in exchange for $10,000.

Marvin Harris, Jr. was sentenced to 45 years in prison in connection with the crime. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Myers Police Department, with assistance from the Joliet (Illinois) Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Jackson’s sentencing marks a significant victory for law enforcement in the Middle District of Florida. “The residents of the Middle District of Florida deserve to work and live in communities safe from violence,” stated U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “Over the past three fiscal years, the United States Attorney’s Office has increased its number of violent crime and firearms prosecutions by more than 75%.”

PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office also engaged in community outreach efforts aimed at violent crime prevention throughout the year. Members of the Office spoke with more than four hundred people as part of outreach efforts during the fourth quarter of 2024, including hundreds of students.

Prosecutors also spoke to more than 80 recently released individuals at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office DISMAS program at the Jacksonville Bridge Community Release Center.

The numbers are staggering: 72 defendants indicted, over 100 firearms seized, and countless lives impacted. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and federally prosecute perpetrators of violent crime.

Latrel Jackson, defendant, Exact criminal charges: Conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire, City and state: Fort Myers, Florida, Exact date: November 2019, Sentence or outcome: Life in federal prison.