Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Cedric Monroe (35, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Monroe pleaded guilty to this offense on December 4, 2015.

According to court documents, Monroe sold crack cocaine and a firearm to a confidential informant in the bathroom of a local restaurant. At the time of the incident, Monroe had been previously convicted of multiple drug offenses.  As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Regina Lombardo, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.  It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy to reduce violence in our communities.

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