Department of Justice

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jason Washington (42, St. Petersburg) with three counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Washington faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the controlled substance charges and up to 15 years on the firearm charge.

According to court documents, on several dates throughout February and March 2023, Washington sold cocaine to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. On April 13, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence where the sales had taken place and found six firearms in the room in which Washington was located, including an AR-15 type semiautomatic pistol and an AK-47 type semi-automatic pistol. The indictment further alleges that Washington has prior felony convictions.

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 was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.

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.