Source: United States Department of Justice News
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Jeffrey Walt Boston (45, Orlando) to 8 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for possessing with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing cocaine. He was also required to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. Boston had pleaded guilty on February 15, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, Boston is a felon who had previously been convicted in state court of resisting arrest with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, delivery of cocaine, and possession of cocaine. On June 4, 2021, while in Lake County, Boston tossed a cigarette box containing cocaine from the window of the car he was driving. A nearby deputy retrieved the box, recognized the contents, then pursued and stopped Boston. During the pursuit, Boston discarded a bag of marijuana that hit the deputy’s windshield.
A subsequent search of the car revealed another cigarette box containing cocaine, a stolen pistol under the driver’s seat loaded with ammunition, 13 bags of cocaine, 5 alprazolam pills, and marijuana. Boston later admitted that all of the drugs and the loaded firearm belonged to him. He also confirmed that his fingerprints would be on the firearm. As a convicted felon, Boston is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.