Jamaica Citizen Sentenced To For Possessing A Firearm As An Illegal Alien

Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II, sentenced Omar O'Neill Lewis last week to 57 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. He pleaded guilty to the charge on August 13, 2012.

According to court documents, an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy observed Lewis attempting to conceal a handgun under a parked car in a parking lot. The handgun was recovered and identified as a FN Herstal 5.7 mm. The gun was loaded with a round in the chamber and 16 rounds in the magazine. Lewis was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. At the time of his arrest, Lewis identified himself to deputies using a fictitious name. He also produced an illegally obtained Florida identification card and Florida driver's license. Through a search warrant for the collection of DNA samples, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s laboratory in Orlando confirmed the DNA collected from the firearm matched DNA collected from Lewis.

Lewis was later identified as a national and citizen of Jamaica. On April 3, 2001, an immigration judge had ordered Lewis removed from the United States. He was physically removed from the United States on June 28, 2001. Lewis reentered the United States on or about July 25, 2005, without the permission of the Attorney General or Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. He was physically removed again on February 23, 2006. Lewis made other attempts to enter the United States using fictitious identities. On October 5, 2009, in the Southern District of Florida, Lewis was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment for illegal re-entry. On May 25, 2010, he was sentenced to 19 months’ imprisonment for false impersonation of a United States citizen.

This case was investigated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.