Fort Myers Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Loaded Ar-15 Pistol

Fort Myers, FL - U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Kwameaine Rashad Brown (28, Fort Myers) to 6 years and 11 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Brown to forfeit the firearm and 87 rounds of ammunition involved in the offense.

Brown had pleaded guilty on December 21, 2020.

According to court documents, on the night of December 31, 2019, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) observed Brown on city surveillance cameras openly carrying a firearm and placing it in the trunk of a vehicle. Brown later entered the vehicle, which was subsequently stopped by FMPD officers patrolling the area. The firearm Brown had been holding was identified as a Springfield Armory Saint 5.56 mm AR-15 pistol, which was equipped with a high-capacity drum-style magazine and loaded with more than 80 rounds of ammunition. At the time, Brown was a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice's signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department's past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.