Department of Justice

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Jamar Maurice James (31, Fort Myers) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon in connection with a shooting at an apartment complex parking lot in Fort Myers.

James had pleaded guilty on January 13, 2021.

According to court documents, on February 17, 2020, at approximately 3:15 a.m. officers from the Fort Myers Police Department responded to a “ShotSpotter” alert at the Jones Walker Palm Gardens Apartments in Fort Myers.  ShotSpotter® is a gunfire locator or gunshot detection system that detects and conveys the location of gunfire or other weapons fire using a combination of sensors in a geographic area. When officers arrived, although they did not locate any injured persons or a gunman, they found six spent ammunition cartridge casings in the apartment complex parking lot.  A subsequent investigation revealed that James had discharged an AK-47 firearm in the parking lot of the complex and then fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.

James had previously been convicted of six felonies, including multiple prior convictions for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. As a result, federal law prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

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