JACKSONVILLE, FL – Paul Steven Hulbert, 27, of Middleburg, Florida, is facing a decade behind bars after pleading guilty to possessing an illegal, unregistered sawed-off shotgun. The conviction comes despite a court order explicitly prohibiting him from owning firearms due to a history of domestic violence.
Court records show a Clay County court issued a “Temporary Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence with Minor Children” against Hulbert in May 2021, extended until September 2022. The injunction wasn’t just a piece of paper; it specifically barred Hulbert from possessing any firearms and demanded he surrender them to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). He didn’t comply. Adding insult to injury, Hulbert was also convicted of domestic battery in Clay County in October 2021 – a conviction that *also* prohibited him from owning guns.
Undeterred, Hulbert allegedly obtained seven firearms, including rifles, pistols, and the now-infamous 12-gauge shotgun. The CCSO finally caught up with Hulbert on May 16, 2022, serving an arrest warrant for violating the protective injunction. During a search of his home, deputies found four rifles, a revolver, a pistol, and the 12-gauge shotgun. It was the shotgun that sealed his fate.
Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined the 12-gauge shotgun had been illegally modified – both barrels sawed off. Crucially, it wasn’t registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, making it a clear violation of federal law. Hulbert was ordered detained following his initial appearance on November 18, 2022, and now awaits sentencing.
Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein, are seeking a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for Hulbert. This case is being touted as part of “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” a federal program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. But for the victim(s) of Hulbert’s alleged abuse, the program offers little comfort until justice is served.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF Jacksonville Office. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing. The Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg, has made it clear they are taking domestic violence-related firearm offenses seriously – a message sent with a potential decade-long prison term for Paul Steven Hulbert.
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