LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Fort Myers resident has been sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison after being found guilty of possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Javonte Keyon Whitfield, 25, was convicted by a federal jury on May 11 for this unlawful possession.
The case originated when Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) officers responded to reports of gunshots in the vicinity of Linhart Avenue and Evans Avenue around 1:30 a.m. on May 14, 2021.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers initially questioned an occupant of a duplex on Evans Avenue who claimed not to have heard any gunshots and asserted that he was alone with his three young children. Shortly thereafter, six adult men, including Whitfield, emerged from the residence, accompanied by three young children.
Notably, one of the adult men exiting the premises had sustained a gunshot wound. Subsequent investigation within the residence led to the discovery of seven unsecured firearms, multiple high-capacity magazines, numerous rounds of ammunition, and cocaine.
Among the firearms uncovered was a loaded rifle concealed under a bed in one of the bedrooms. After conducting forensic analysis, it was confirmed that the fingerprint on the rifle matched that of Whitfield, who had been released from prison just shy of five months prior.
Federal law prohibits previously convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition, leading to Whitfield’s conviction and sentencing.