Department of Justice

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Marquis Henry Mack (33, Sarasota) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Mack faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on January 4, 2023, deputies from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office responded to Mack’s residence to serve a narcotics-related arrest warrant that had been issued in Manatee County. Mack was standing in his driveway when the deputies approached him. When informed of the pending arrest warrant, Mack turned around and began to walk toward his garage, failing to obey all verbal commands to stop. The deputies grabbed ahold of Mack, and as Mack struggled to break free, the deputies pulled a loaded SCCY CPX-1 9mm caliber pistol from Mack’s front pocket.

Mack, a previously convicted felon, had served 18 months in state prison after sustaining a conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in 2021. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha E. Beckman.

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.