U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Benjamin Cedric Graddy, a 41-year-old resident of Tampa, to 14 years in federal prison. Graddy was convicted for possessing a firearm as a felon and violating the terms of his supervised release from an earlier federal criminal case. He pleaded guilty on October 2, 2024.
Court documents reveal that on March 17, 2023, officers from the Tampa Police Department observed Graddy's vehicle failing to stop at a stop sign in Ybor City, Florida. During the traffic stop, officers detected the smell of burnt marijuana and noticed white powder on the driver's floorboard. A search led to the discovery of a Glock 22 .40 caliber firearm with an extended magazine loaded with 22 rounds in the center console. Officers also found dimethylpentylone intended for distribution in two containers within the vehicle, cocaine in Graddy’s pocket, along with a digital scale and small plastic baggies.
At this time, Graddy was under federal supervised release following a previous conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Tampa Police Department (TPD), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael J. Buchanan.
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 launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, focusing on building community trust and legitimacy while supporting organizations that prevent violence.