Orlando Man Found Guilty of Possessing a Firearm After Having Been Convicted of a Felony
Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Rondre Antwan Powell (32, Orlando) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 19, 2020.
A grand jury had returned a superseding indictment on July 17, 2019.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on November 28, 2018, a deputy from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office conducted a stop of an SUV for traffic violations, and because the vehicle was suspected of being stolen. The driver and a passenger of the SUV fled on foot. A 9mm firearm, with an extended magazine holding over 20 rounds of ammunition, was left behind in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Law enforcement identified Powell as the passenger and arrested him six days later in Pasco County. When Powell was arrested, officers executed search warrants on a hotel room and on Powell’s cellphone that yielded additional evidence that it was Powell who had fled from the SUV, leaving behind the 9mm pistol and extended magazine.
Powell has been convicted of numerous felonies and admitted during the trial that he was a felon. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs, 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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