Jury Convicts Cocoa Man of Possessing a Firearm After Having Been Convicted of a Felony
Orlando, Florida – A federal jury today found Raymond Lee Kelly (52, Cocoa, FL) guilty of possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony. Because of his extensive criminal record, which includes drug trafficking convictions, resisting arrest with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, Kelly is qualified as an Armed Career Criminal and faces a 15-year mandatory minimum prison sentence. Kelly was also on supervised release from a federal prison sentence when he committed the offense for which he was found guilty. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 17, 2020.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Kelly, a convicted felon, fled from a traffic stop in Cocoa Beach, Florida. First, he crashed his vehicle shortly after fleeing. He then he fled on foot toward the beach, leaving behind cannabis, a digital scale, a Ruger semi-automatic handgun and 16 rounds of ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cocoa Beach Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs, Jr.
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.
