A Fort Lauderdale resident was sentenced yesterday to over 21 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and distributing crack cocaine.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Ari C. Shapira, Special Agent in Charge, United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Rick Maglione, Chief, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, made the announcement.
On March 14, 2018, John Edward Bradham, 50, of Fort Lauderdale, was convicted by a trial jury of distribution of crack cocaine and being a felon in possession of two firearms and ten rounds of ammunition. Yesterday, United States District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas ruled that Bradham was an armed career criminal and sentenced him to 240 months in prison for distribution of crack cocaine, to run concurrent to 262 months in prison for the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition convictions.
According to the court record, including evidence presented at trial and sentencing, on Oct. 17, 2017, Bradham unlawfully sold a Ruger.380 caliber semiautomatic pistol, loaded with five rounds of ammunition, and crack cocaine. Later the same day, law enforcement arrested Bradham and executed a search warrant at his storage unit, where they recovered a second firearm, a Smith & Wesson.357 caliber revolver that was loaded with five rounds of ammunition. At the time of the criminal conduct, Bradham was a convicted felon and thereby prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of ATF and Fort Lauderdale Police Department in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William T. Shockley.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
