Ocala Armed Career Criminal Pleads Guilty To Possessing Firearm

Ocala, Florida – Deveon Demond Jenkins (28, Ocala) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison.

Jenkins had been indicted on July 15, 2020.

According to court documents, on April 10, 2020, Jenkins was a passenger in the backseat of an automobile that Ocala Police Department officers stopped for a traffic infraction. After a K-9 signaled the presence of contraband in the car, officers searched the vehicle and discovered at Jenkins’s feet a firearm that they later determined was stolen. DNA testing and recorded jail telephone calls subsequently confirmed that Jenkins had been in possession of the firearm. Jenkins, who has 20 prior felony convictions, is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law. His numerous prior convictions for the sale of drugs qualify him as an Armed Career Criminal for sentencing purposes.

This case was investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.