Broward County Resident Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

On July 27, 2018, Christopher Brinson, 32, of Broward County, was sentenced to 210 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth A. Marra, after a trial jury convicted him of being a felon unlawfully in possession of a firearm.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Ari C. Shapira, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.

According to the court docket, including evidence introduced at trial, on March 20, 2017, a video broadcast via Facebook live showed Brinson in possession of a firearm. A firearms identification expert was able to determine it was a genuine Glock pistol.   On April 20, 2017, Brinson was arrested.   At the time of his arrest, Brinson had a cellular phone which contained photographs of him in possession of the Glock pistol on March 20, 2017.   Brinson had previously been convicted of several felony offenses and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigatory efforts of the ATF, FBI and BSO in this matter.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anita G. White.