Englewood Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Heroin Distribution and Possession of Firearm
TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Michael Edward Lindsey, 47, of Englewood to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. Lindsey was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which requires a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment. Lindsey had pleaded guilty on Sept. 12, 2023.
According to the plea agreement, Lindsey is a multi-convicted felon for multiple narcotics distribution and violent offenses dating back to 1996. On June 9, 2022, during a traffic stop conducted by officers from the North Port Police Department (NPPD) in the area of 12145 Tamiami Trail, officers found Lindsey in possession of approximately 1.6 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 caliber pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition. As the officers approached Lindsey’s vehicle, Lindsey consumed a large quantity of drugs by emptying the contents of the bag into his mouth. NPPD officers recovered 1.6 grams of methamphetamine, after Lindsey had consumed the remainder of the drugs.
On Nov. 13, 2022, NPPD officers arrested Lindsey on an active warrant. During a search incident to his arrest, the officers found Lindsey in possession of distribution quantities of methamphetamine and heroin.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the North Port Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha C. 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.
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