Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Fort Myers, Florida –U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced James Wallace Mathis, Jr. (44, Fort Myers) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and distributing controlled substances. Mathis entered a guilty plea on October 30, 2024.
According to court records, on multiple occasions in July and August 2024, Mathis sold drugs—including fentanyl and cocaine—to a law enforcement informant and an undercover ATF agent. Additionally, on one occasion in July 2024, Mathis sold a loaded Ruger handgun to a law enforcement informant. As a multi-time convicted felon, Mathis is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.