DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Middle District of Florida

For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 19, 2016
A. Lee Bentley, III
, United States Attorney
Contact: William Daniels

Two Arrested for Possession of Firearms Stolen from Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the filing of a criminal complaint and arrests of Kimberly Carnell White, Jr. (27, Orlando) and James Romando Harris, II (28, Orlando) for possession of firearms by convicted felons.  If convicted, each faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Marion County was burglarized during the morning of May 5, 2016.  Later that day, ATF received information that White had several firearms to sell that came from a location he claimed to have “hit.”  That same day, undercover agents from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office purchased five firearms from White and Harris.  The serial numbers of those firearms matched those of the firearms that had been stolen from the federally licensed firearms dealer.  Both White and Harris have prior felony convictions and therefore are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

On May 13, 2016, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, and ATF executed federal search warrants at the Orlando residences where the undercover transactions had been conducted and where other firearms had been seen.  During the execution of those warrants, law enforcement recovered seven firearms from one residence and four firearms from the other residence.  Of those 11 firearms, 4 of them had serial numbers that matched those of the firearms reported stolen from the federally licensed firearms dealer.  In total, investigators have seized 16 firearms, including 9 that were reported stolen from the firearms dealer.

These arrests were the result of a multi-agency investigation focused on the recovery of the firearms. This investigation is ongoing. 

“These arrests demonstrate the resolve our local, state and federal partners have to keep guns off the streets, and put the felons that traffic in illegal firearms behind bars,” said Orange County Sheriff Jerry L. Demings.  “Together we will continue to seek out any other subjects who assisted in this crime and who would endanger our children and communities.”

“By working together with our law enforcement partners at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF, we were able to get 16 illegal guns off the street,” said Orlando Police Chief John Mina.  “Any time we can get crime guns out of the hands of criminals it's a victory for all of us.”

“I applaud the ATF special agents and the investigators with the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the Orlando Police Department for their excellent work in quickly arresting these individuals selling stolen guns,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Regina Lombardo.  “This investigation will make our communities safer but we still have more work to do in recovering all of the guns stolen from a licensed federal firearms dealer.”

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.  
      
This case is being investigated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Belleview Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.

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Tampa Field Division