Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Rico Allen Gandy (47, Orlando) to four years and three months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Gandy to forfeit the firearm and ammunition, which are related to the offense. Gandy pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025.
According to court documents, Gandy was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by the Orlando Police Department’s Tactical Anti-Crime Unit. After initially refusing to stop, the driver pulled over and Gandy attempted to walk away from the scene. Gandy was detained by officers who later recovered a bag that he had left on the floorboard of the vehicle. Inside the bag was his Gandy’s Florida identification card, several baggies of crack cocaine, MDMA, marijuana, and a loaded 9mm Springfield pistol. Gandy is a six-time convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Courtney Richardson-Jones.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.