Orlando, Florida — Patrick Willie Smith, 41, of Daytona Beach, is headed to federal prison for 15 years after being caught with a loaded .45-caliber pistol — a crime made far worse by his rap sheet of 13 prior felony convictions.
U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp handed down the sentence, slamming Smith for repeatedly violating federal law by possessing firearms as a prohibited person. The court also ordered the forfeiture of an FEG .45-caliber pistol and seven rounds of ammunition tied to the January 2016 incident.
Smith pleaded guilty on September 21, 2016, admitting he knowingly possessed the loaded weapon at a time when federal law barred him from owning or handling any firearm or ammo due to his criminal history. No excuses. No defense. Just another repeat offender caught red-handed.
The takedown was the result of joint work by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Daytona Beach Police Department — a textbook collaboration under the federal government’s crackdown on violent gun crime.
This case falls under the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” initiative, a nationwide push to dismantle gun violence by targeting habitual offenders. U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, and ATF Special Agent in Charge Daryl R. McCrary are leading the charge in the Middle District of Florida, aligning federal, state, and local forces to squeeze the life out of repeat gun criminals.
It’s also part of ATF’s Frontline strategy — laser-focused on cities where gun violence festers. Smith’s 15-year sentence sends a clear message: if you’re a felon and you pick up a gun, you’re going to prison. For a long time.
Related Federal Cases
- Felon Willie Hunter Jr. Locked Up for Gun Possession · Florida
- Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun Possession · New York
- Adam Longoria Gets 15 Years for Gun Possession · Florida
- Preston County Felon Scott Thomas Gets 41 Months for Gun Possession · West Virginia
- Brooksville Man Cuffed for Gun Possession After Flight from Cops · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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