Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington today sentenced Marquese Jerrodda Allen (43, St. Petersburg) to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Allen was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act, in light of his lengthy criminal history. He was found guilty following a bench trial on December 2, 2019.

According to testimony and evidence presented at today’s sentencing hearing, Allen pulled a gun on a woman inside his motel room. He had his finger on the trigger, pointed the gun’s barrel at her chest, and threatened to murder her over a $100 debt that her fiancé had owed. The woman’s nine-year-old son was just outside the room when the incident occurred. 

Allen has 10 previous felony convictions. His record includes a domestic violence injunction, battery, two firearms-related convictions, and several drug-trafficking convictions.   

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory T. Nolan.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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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