Jacksonville, Florida - U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Jairus Quaintance (21, Jacksonville) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm while selling marijuana.
Quaintance pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, 2013.
According to court documents, Quaintance was selling marijuana from a street corner just north of downtown Jacksonville. An officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office made contact with Quaintance and found that he was armed with a loaded 9mm pistol and marijuana packaged for sale.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.
It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods" program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Julie Leon, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy - an effective method in reducing violent crime and improving the quality of life in communities where law enforcement efforts are focused.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
