Convicted Felon Sentenced For Possessing Firearm

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Patraic Setzer (29, New Port Richey) to three years and five months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Setzer to forfeit a Sig Sauer firearm, which is traceable to the offense. Setzer had pleaded guilty on February 7, 2023.

According to court documents, officers from the New Port Richey Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Setzer, a six-time convicted felon, on May 31, 2022. A police canine alerted on the vehicle and officers searched the car, locating a loaded Sig Sauer firearm. Setzer was on federal supervised release at the time of the incident, following a sentence in the Bureau of Prisons for being a felon in possession of a firearm. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Port Richey Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.

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.