Jacksonville Man Sentenced To More Than Five Years In Connection With Firearms Theft Conspiracy

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Jamarius Tillie (28, Jacksonville) to five years and eight months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the theft of firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers and conspiring to steal firearms from such dealers. Tillie had pleaded guilty on January 17, 2020.

According to court documents, from about June 2017 through on or about August 2017, members of Tillie’s theft ring stole more than 10 firearms from at least 4 licensed firearms dealers in Jacksonville. While Tillie and others distracted the sales staff in these stores, another member of the ring would sneak behind counters and steal firearms. Tillie kept some guns for himself, but sold the majority of them to a local drug dealer. In exchange for assisting Tillie, members of the theft ring were sometimes paid with crack cocaine. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.