Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years for Possession of Firearm as a Convicted Felon

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U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has issued a sentence of four years and nine months in federal prison for Gerard Eric Beasley (50, Tampa) after he was found guilty of being in possession of a firearm as a convicted felon on March 12, 2024, following a bench trial.

During a routine traffic stop, officers from the Tampa Police Department pulled Beasley over for driving without his headlights on and having a partially open trunk. Upon searching Beasley's vehicle, the officers discovered marijuana, crack cocaine, and a loaded Taurus G2C 9mm pistol with one round of ammunition. Beasley confessed to possessing the firearm and narcotics during an interview. Due to his multiple previous felony convictions, Beasley was legally prohibited from owning a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

The investigation into this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Shauna Hale handled the prosecution.

This particular instance is a component of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that unites law enforcement at all levels and the communities they protect in order to decrease instances of violent crime and gun violence, ultimately creating safer neighborhoods for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department initiated an enhanced strategy to reduce violent crime within PSN, which is grounded in several fundamental principles: cultivating trust and credibility within our communities, providing support to community-based organizations that proactively work towards preventing violence, establishing targeted and strategic enforcement objectives, and evaluating the outcomes achieved.