Ocala Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty To Illegal Possession Of A Firearm

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jaedyn Tiryse Presley (23, Ocala) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Presley faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also agreed to forfeit the firearm used in the commission of the offense. Presley had been indicted on February 1, 2022.

According to the plea agreement, on July 16, 2021, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Presley’s vehicle, which smelled strongly of marijuana. After determining that Presley had a suspended license, the deputy placed him under arrest and searched the vehicle, recovering a loaded 9mm handgun and several containers of marijuana. A subsequent federal search warrant conclusively showed Presley’s DNA on the grip, frame, slide, and trigger of the firearm. Presley, a multi-convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, 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 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.