Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing 23 Firearms and More Than 3,000 Rounds of Ammunition
Ocala, Florida – Nicholas Allen Groves (35, Ocala) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Groves had been indicted on November 20, 2019.
According to the plea agreement, on November 6, 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant at Groves’s residence and seized 25 firearms (revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns), 3,171 rounds of ammunition, a homemade firearm silencer, and several 40 mm grenade shells. Experts later determined that 23 of the firearms had crossed state lines, making them the subject of federal prosecution. Groves, who has a previous felony conviction for assault-first degree (Maryland), is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Ocala Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
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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