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Gun Possession by Convicted Felon Lands Ocala Man in Federal Prison
Ocala, Florida – Luis Ernesto Sanchez, a 20-year-old from Apopka, has been sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Sanchez pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025.
According to court records, Sanchez was previously convicted of three state felony offenses—principal to burglary of a conveyance while armed, principal to grand theft of a firearm, and grand theft of a motor vehicle. He was released from state prison on August 12, 2023, and began a period of probation.
A few months later, on December 27, 2023, while Sanchez was still on probation, a deputy from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle Sanchez was driving. Sanchez exited the vehicle with his hands up and told the deputy that he had a firearm in his waistband. A subsequent search revealed a fully loaded pistol on Sanchez’s person, along with a ski mask and burglary tools located inside the vehicle.
As a convicted felon, Sanchez is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. Sanchez was separately sentenced to 14 years in prison for violating his state probation. This federal sentence will run consecutively to that term of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
The 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.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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