Fort Pierce Man Sentenced For Firearms Charges

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announce the sentencing of Samuel George Brown, 49, of Fort Pierce, on charges of prohibited possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(k); and, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). Brown appeared in court on March 7, 2014, in Fort Pierce before U.S. Senior District Judge Donald L. Graham.

According to the indictment, as well as an earlier federal complaint, and facts agreed upon by the parties at sentencing, Brown was found in possession of a .380 caliber Hi-Point handgun, as well as a .22 caliber Marlin rifle and a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun, with corresponding ammunition, in his home. Officers of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office discovered the firearms and ammunition, together with marijuana packaged for sale, when they executed a search warrant at Brown’s Fort Pierce home on June 8, 2013. Brown is a previously convicted felon.

Brown pleaded guilty to two counts of the indictment, charging him with possession of a firearm with an obliterated or altered serial number; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Judge Graham sentenced Brown to a term of 66 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and payment of a $200 special assessment.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ATF, the Fort Pierce Police Department, and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Cooperstein.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.