Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Sean Lee Coy, 28, of Okaloosa County, Florida, was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, Unites States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

“Our law enforcement partnerships play such a vital role in fighting violent crime and protecting the public,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentencing is another example that working jointly with our partners is making our communities safer.”

On January 3, 2022, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped Coy for driving with an expired tag. After observing a glass smoking pipe in the vehicle and smelling marijuana, the deputies searched Coy and the vehicle, finding several small baggies of methamphetamine, marijuana, and a Ruger LCP .380 caliber pistol loaded with 13 rounds in an extended magazine. Coy attempted to flee the scene but was quickly apprehended. In 2016, Coy was convicted by the state of Florida of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, stemming from a shooting in which he and two other individuals fired into a car with multiple passengers at close range, injuring four people. Coy was sentenced to 5 years for that crime and released in September of 2020.

“Successes like this, connected to the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, are a perfect example of how a dedicated strategy to combat violence will pay-off both short-term and long-term.” “We are committed to being a steadfast partner in this mission, which benefits our area’s quality of life on multiple levels,” said Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden.

This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Walter Narramore prosecuted the case.

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.

As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.