Brooksville man pleads guilty to possessing firearm as convicted felon

TAMPA, Florida — James Hilligardt, a 21-year-old from Brooksville, has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, according to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office.

Hilligardt faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison, with a sentencing date yet to be set. Court documents reveal that on January 23, 2024, Hilligardt shot himself in the leg while live streaming on social media. Deputies from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and found him in possession of a sawed-off shotgun.

The investigation uncovered that Hilligardt had repeatedly posted images of himself with firearms and ammunition on social media. Detectives later recovered a second shotgun that Hilligardt had buried in a yard. As a convicted felon, Hilligardt is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

The case was investigated by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that unites various levels of law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, to strengthen PSN based on principles such as fostering trust in communities, supporting community-based violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.