Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the results of the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, ending on December 31, 2024, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida indicted 46 individuals. These defendants face federal firearms, narcotics, and violent crime charges. Law enforcement also seized more than 85 firearms associated with these cases. (See chart for details).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also engaged in more than 30 community outreach events focused on PSN and crime prevention. Members of the office spoke with hundreds of students as part of outreach efforts during the first quarter of 2025. In addition, prosecutors spoke to more than 100 recently released individuals at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office DISMAS program at the Jacksonville Bridge Community Release Center and over 50 inmates scheduled for release from the Baker Re-Entry Center.
“My office is committed to working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement officers to combat violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “Over the past three fiscal years, my office has increased the number of violent crime and firearms cases brought in federal court by over 75%. In total, federal prosecutors have charged more than 750 defendants with firearms violations during that timeframe, with more than 300 of those defendants being charged in the most recent fiscal year. We will continue to federally prosecute and hold accountable those perpetrators of violent crimes in our communities.”
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based re-entry programs to reduce recidivism.
Q1 PSN Case Highlights
United States v. JD Irons, Jr. (Ft. Myers)
In October 2024, JD Irons, Jr. was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. According to court records, in December 2023, Irons fled from officers with the Fort Myers Police Department during a traffic stop. Irons was subsequently located, and a firearm was recovered from the vehicle and forensically linked to Irons. Irons qualified for enhanced sentencing under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
United States v. Jameise Christian et al (Jacksonville)
On December 10, 2024, Jameise Vaughn Christian was sentenced to 12 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies and brandishing a firearm during the robberies. According to court documents, Christian and his co-conspirators planned and executed a series of jewelry store robberies in New Jersey, Florida, and the District of Columbia. Based in the Washington, D.C. area, the group targeted predominantly South Asian jewelry stores along the east coast. Wearing disguises and armed with firearms, they used hammers to smash jewelry display cases and steal valuable items. These stores were specifically chosen because they sold high-purity gold, which yielded higher proceeds when sold for cash. To date, all individuals involved in the Jacksonville and New Jersey robberies have been arrested and face charges in Jacksonville and Washington, D.C.
United States v. Joshua Fries (Ocala)
On October 23, 2024, Joshua Fries pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons: a silencer and machinegun-conversion devices. Fries faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count when he is sentenced next month. According to court documents, Fries provided a confidential informant with two auto sears (machinegun-conversion devices) and a silencer, all of which he had illegally manufactured. During their conversations, Fries disclosed to the informant that he was part of a local anti-government militia group and that he made silencers, auto sears, and other weapons for that militia. Contrary to federal law, none of these devices were registered to Fries in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record—a database maintained by ATF.
United States v. Joshua Grant Cobb (Orlando)
Joshua Grant Cobb was sentenced in December 2024 to 25 years in federal prison for possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute them and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents, law enforcement identified Cobb as a distributor of methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl who used his residence to facilitate drug transactions. A confidential source arranged to fentanyl at Cobb’s residence. Cobb was later detained as he was leaving his residence. He had a loaded firearm and 55 grams of a fentanyl mixture on him at the time. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cobb’s home and agents located over 700 grams of methamphetamine, nearly 350 grams of fentanyl mixtures, $4,000 in cash, drug processing materials and equipment, and 6 additional loaded firearms.
United States v. Francisco Cabrera (Tampa)
In November 2024, Francisco Cabrera was sentenced to 38 years in federal prison for robbery, carjacking, attempted murder, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court records, Cabrera engaged in a crime spree where he robbed two stores and a gas station, holding victims at gunpoint. Cabrera later returned to the gas station he had robbed, approached an individual sitting inside a truck, and carjacked him at gunpoint. Hours later, officers and agents located Cabrera who then fled from the officers. During an 11-mile chase, Cabrera traveled at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour, nearly crashed into a truck, drove through red lights and into oncoming traffic causing other vehicles to take evasive actions, and nearly missed hitting other vehicles. While fleeing, Cabrera fired gunshots at numerous local and federal agents, firing at 7 different police officers. In fear that Cabrera was going to kill someone, and after determining that no other law enforcement officers or civilians would be in danger, an ATF special agent fired at Cabrera striking him twice in his lower back. The same law enforcement officers that Cabrera had fired upon then quickly provided him with first aid medical assistance, saving his life.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0.