Tampa Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James Moody, Jr. has sentenced Christian Joel Andujar Rivera (25, Tampa) to four years and four months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of firearms. The court also ordered him to forfeit a Glock firearm and assorted ammunition associated with the offense. Andujar Rivera had pleaded guilty on February 2, 2023.
According to court documents, in June 2022, Andujar Rivera was wanted on a felony charge of fleeing and eluding police. On June 13, 2022, the United States Marshal's Service Fugitive Apprehension Unit located Andujar Rivera at his residence in Plant City. On that same day, investigators arrived at the Plant City residence and engaged in a standoff with Andujar Rivera. Andujar Rivera stood at the top of a set of stairs in the home, concealed his hands behind his back, and failed to obey law enforcement commands to surrender. He told the officers that the officers would have to shoot him once he pulled his firearm out. He eventually surrendered without incident.
After a search of the home, law enforcement located nine firearms and large amounts of assorted ammunition. A laboratory analysis later determined DNA found on one of those firearms, a Glock pistol, was linked to Andujar Rivera. As a multi-convicted felon, Andujar Rivera is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. PSN is a program that brings 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. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
