Department of Justice

OCALA, Fla — U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Tyran Terrell Harris, 23, of Leesburg, on an indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Harris faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal grand jury had indicted Harris on Dec. 12.

According to court documents, Harris has multiple prior state felony convictions including grand theft, tampering with a witness and grand theft auto. On Sept. 25, officers from the Leesburg Police Department observed Harris walking around an apartment complex with a loaded firearm. Knowing Harris was a convicted felon, the officers arrested him and took possession of the firearm. A record check showed that the firearm had been reported stolen approximately two weeks earlier. Harris subsequently admitted that he knew he could not possess the firearm as a convicted felon.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Leesburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

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 of Justice 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.

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