FORT MYERS, FL – Steven Dewayne Barnes Jr., 26, is headed to federal prison for over a decade after being caught walking the streets of Fort Myers with a loaded handgun and a criminal history. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell sentenced Barnes to 10 years and 1 month on Tuesday for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and tampering with the weapon’s serial number – a clear attempt to hide its origins.
The bust went down on November 14, 2022, when Fort Myers Police Department officers spotted Barnes on Washington Avenue. According to court documents, officers quickly suspected he was packing heat. A pat-down revealed a loaded Smith & Wesson tucked into his waistband. But it wasn’t just the illegal possession that landed Barnes in hot water. Investigators discovered the firearm’s serial number had been deliberately scratched off, making it untraceable.
Barnes wasn’t just any gun owner; he was a previously convicted felon, legally barred from possessing firearms or ammunition. Adding to the severity of the crime, forensic ballistics analysis linked the weapon found on Barnes to two separate drive-by shootings that had rattled the city of Fort Myers. The ATF, Fort Myers PD, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement all contributed to building the case against him, culminating in a guilty verdict after a bench trial on July 12, 2023.
Federal prosecutors weren’t letting Barnes off easy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Simon R. Eth successfully argued for the maximum sentence, emphasizing the danger Barnes posed to the community. The judge also ordered Barnes to forfeit both the firearm and the ammunition he had on his person at the time of his arrest. This isn’t just about one gun; it’s about removing a dangerous individual and a weapon potentially used in multiple violent acts from the streets.
The case is being touted as a win for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaborative law enforcement efforts. The Department of Justice launched a renewed focus on PSN in 2021, emphasizing community trust, violence prevention programs, and strategic enforcement.
Barnes’ decade-plus sentence sends a clear message: illegally possessing firearms, especially with a prior record and ties to violent crime, will be met with serious consequences. The ATF’s Tampa Field Division spearheaded the investigation, highlighting the agency’s commitment to cracking down on illegal gun trafficking and violent offenders in Florida. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the ongoing efforts to combat gun violence in Fort Myers and beyond.
Related Federal Cases
- Steven Barnes, Gun Possession, Fort Myers FL, 2023 · Florida
- Max Chambers, Machine Gun Possession, Florida 2019 · Ohio
- Rejjie Ni, Possession of a Machine Gun, New York 2019 · Florida
- Shaborn Washington, Gun Possession, Florida 2023 · Florida
- Noah Robert Calderon, Possession of a Destructive Device, Burleson … · Florida
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
WeaponsWeaponsWeaponsWeapons