Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has
sentenced Stevie Cavazos (24, Hillsborough County) to 10 years in federal
prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was the
highest permissible under the relevant statute. The court also ordered Cavazos
to forfeit the firearms and ammunition that he had possessed, which are
traceable to proceeds of the offense. Cavazos pleaded guilty on June 8, 2018.
According to court documents and testimony during the
sentencing hearing, Cavazos threatened two women with a sawed-off shotgun.
While interviewing the victims, law enforcement officers heard shots coming
from Cavazos’s home. They located Cavazos at his home along with the sawed-off
shotgun and another rifle. At the time, Cavazos had previous convictions for
robbery and battery on a law enforcement officer and, was therefore prohibited
from possessing a firearm by federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s
Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory T. Nolan.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods
(PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of
law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for
everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the
reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop
districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned
since the program’s inception in 2001. 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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