15 Years For Tallahassee Man Convicted Of Firearms Violation

A Tallahassee man was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison after he was discovered in possession of a weapon and ammunition. While Tallahassee is not Chicago, we come a bit closer every day. Chicago is famous for two things: Public corruption and gun violence (also pizza). This has spurred federal agents to launch a campaign in the city to reduce the number of illegal guns on the streets. Federal rules regarding gun ownership tend to be both more lax than Chicago’s but also harsher when it comes to sentencing.

In this case, the defendant had been convicted of 12 felonies and one of those was being a felon in possession of a weapon. Due to his record, the defendant qualified for enhanced sentencing due to being labeled a career criminal in possession of a weapon.

While people joke about “Club Fed”, the federal statutes regarding most laws require the courts to apply mandatory minimum sentences based on a sentencing or point table. The point table requires the consideration of previous offenses. In this case, the defendant was sentenced to 15 years for mere possession.

How was the defendant caught? 

In a lot of cases, defendants are caught because of poor impulse control issues. Authorities generally cannot unilaterally enter one’s home. If you agree to ankle monitoring as a condition of pre-trial release, authorities can conduct unannounced searches of your premises. In this case, the man had police called on him because he was threatening to kill his wife with a knife. When police arrived at the scene, the wife told them that the defendant was armed and was threatening to kill her. Police confiscated the weapon and referred the issue to federal authorities who were able to hang 15 years on him. The man was under supervised release when the incident occurred.

Chicago unveils anti-violence program 

Since Chicago is the gun violence capital of the United States, it stands to reason that their programs would be more advanced than others and as it stands, that’s true. Chicago has unveiled a program that helps first-time offenders convicted of weapons violations and other crimes learn cognitive behavioral skills to reduce impulse control problems, the program connects them with job training resources, and mental health support. The program has shown good results and among those who participated, there was a reduced likelihood of future gun violence offenses and even a reduced likelihood of being the victim of gun violence.

Such a program should be gaining national attention as it has been primarily funded by Chicago’s sports teams, but as of yet, the word isn’t out. Such programs focus on rehabilitation as opposed to punishment and are controversial when it comes to public funding.

Talk to a Tallahassee Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

Tallahassee criminal lawyer Luke Newman, P.A. defends clients accused of weapons violations from both the state and the federal government. Call today to schedule an appointment and we can begin preparing your defense immediately.

Source:

wtxl.com/news/local-news/resident-of-tallahassee-sentenced-to-federal-prison-in-firearm-case