TAMPA, FL – Rossonno Borders, Jr., 25, of Tampa, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to three years and one month for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven handed down the sentence after Borders pleaded guilty on July 27, 2022, to the charge that could land him back behind bars.
The case unfolded last October 6, 2021, when Tampa Police Department (TPD) officers spotted Borders driving a vehicle with illegally tinted windows. Rather than pull over, Borders floored it, leading officers on a high-speed chase. The pursuit ended with a crash, and Borders bolted on foot. But he couldn’t outrun the evidence left behind – a loaded firearm sitting in plain sight on the center console of the wrecked vehicle.
Investigators quickly linked Borders to the weapon. Fingerprints lifted from the magazine matched his. The problem? Borders is no stranger to the inside of a jail cell. Court records show prior convictions for grand theft in the third degree (2019) and, ironically, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in 2021. Federal law clearly prohibits convicted felons from owning guns or ammunition.
This wasn’t a first-time offense, and the judge clearly recognized that. The sentence reflects a pattern of disregard for the law, a source close to the investigation told Grimy Times. “He knew the risks, he’s been down this road before. This isn’t just about a gun, it’s about a repeat offender refusing to change his ways,” the source stated.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Tampa Police Department jointly investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos prosecuted Borders, securing the conviction and subsequent sentence. This case is being touted as a win for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence.
PSN, according to the Department of Justice, focuses on building trust with communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, prioritizing enforcement, and tracking results. Whether those lofty goals translate to real change on the streets of Tampa remains to be seen, but for now, Rossonno Borders, Jr., is off the streets and behind bars – and that’s one less illegal gun in the hands of a convicted felon.
Related Federal Cases
- Hugo Man, Illegal Gun Possession, Oklahoma 2024 · Alabama
- Etavious J. Milton Faces Federal Gun Possession Charge, Tallahassee… · Virginia
- Shem Wayne Alexander, Gun Smuggling, Tampa FL, 2023 · Virginia
- Patrick Willie Smith, Gun Possession with Loaded Firearm, FL 2024 · Virginia
- Brandon Williams, Heroin and Gun Possession, Florida 2015 · Virginia
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
WeaponsWeaponsWeaponsWeapons