U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Sammie Ray Sewell, Jr., 43, of Alexandria, Louisiana, to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also mandated that Sewell forfeit the firearm and ammunition involved in the offense. Sewell had entered a guilty plea on September 16, 2024.
Court documents reveal that a detective from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office found Sewell at a Fort Myers hotel with a loaded pistol featuring an extended magazine. At that time, Sewell had extraditable warrants from Louisiana and was recognized as a convicted felon, thus prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The investigation was conducted by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department initiated an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021. This strategy emphasizes fostering trust within communities, supporting community-based violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.