Fort Myers Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Jontavious Jarquel Griffin (34, Fort Myers) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The court also ordered Griffin to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense. Griffin had pleaded guilty on January 25, 2023.
According to court records, on July 27, 2022, deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven and solely occupied by Griffin. Deputies later searched the vehicle, and inside a backpack on the front-passenger seat, they found a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun and quantities of cocaine and fentanyl. As a convicted felon, who had previously served prison time for a drug-related crime, Griffin is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
