Tampa, Florida - Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, Special Agent in Charge Daryl R. McCrary of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Chief Anthony Holloway of the St. Petersburg Police Department, and State Attorney Bernie McCabe of the Sixth Judicial Circuit announce the culmination of a long-term firearms, drug trafficking, and violent crime operation dubbed the St. Petersburg Violent Crime Reduction Initiative. As a result of this eight-month initiative, and. The charges brought during this investigation arose from a partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office, ATF, and the St. Petersburg Police Department, under the auspices of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative. The PSN Program is a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.
"The prosecutions announced today underscore our office's ongoing commitment to prosecuting violent and armed criminals," said Acting U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “They also reflect the strength of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships. We will continue work to together to make our communities safer."
“ATF’s primary focus is protecting the public by reducing violent crime," said Special Agent in Charge McCrary. “ATF continues to aggressively pursue violent offenders and will continue to protect and serve communities with our law enforcement partners."
“The more guns we take off the street, the more successful we are at reducing the fear of crime in our community" said Chief Holloway. “It is this kind of inter-agency relationship that makes our public safety efforts in the state of Florida so effective."
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the State Attorney’s Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. The federal cases will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys from the Violent Crimes and Gangs Section. The state cases will be prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys from the Sixth Judicial Circuit.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
