Source: United States Department of Justice News
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Chris Boone (25, St. Petersburg) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered Boone to forfeit a Hi-Point (model 4995) .45 ACP caliber rifle and ammunition, which are traceable to the offense. Boone had pleaded guilty on April 12, 2022.
According to court documents, in January 2020, Boone agreed to participate in the robbery of a house where narcotics were being sold. On January 2, 2020, Boone went to a house in St. Petersburg with his co-conspirators to conduct the robbery. Boone’s role was to engage in a drug deal and act as a decoy. When Boone arrived at the home, he went to one of the bedrooms to purchase narcotics. His co-conspirators then entered the home and began firing shots. Boone, a convicted felon, armed himself with a rifle while in the bedroom, and fired the weapon multiple times inside the house before fleeing. Law enforcement officers responded to the scene, searched the premises, and found a Hi-Point (model 4995) .45 ACP caliber rifle on the living room sofa. Forensic testing revealed Boone’s DNA on the rifle. During an interview with law enforcement, Boone admitted that he was a felon and that he had fired the rifle multiple times after his co-conspirators entered the residence and opened fire.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pinellas Park Police Department, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.