DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Middle District of Florida

For Immediate Release

Thursday, October 17, 2019
Maria Chapa Lopez
, United States Attorney
Contact: William Daniels

Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Jamaal Abu Talib Hameen (59, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A jury had found Hameen guilty on March 1, 2019. 

According to evidence presented at trial and at the sentencing hearing, on February 7, 2018, Hameen was found to be in possession of a loaded .380 caliber pistol, when officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested him for trespassing at a local motel. At the time, Hameen had numerous prior felony convictions, including for aggravated assault, sale or delivery of cocaine, and sale or delivery of heroin. As a previously convicted felon, Hameen was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David B. Mesrobian and Frank Talbot.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

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Tampa Field Division