U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg | U.S. Department of Justice
Jacksonville, Florida – Anthony Tyrone Mackey has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Senior U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan handed down the sentence after a federal jury found Mackey guilty on August 27, 2024.
Court documents and trial testimony revealed that on March 29, 2023, officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office stopped Mackey for a traffic violation while he was driving on the wrong side of the road. During the stop, officers discovered cocaine and methamphetamine in the front passenger seat, a 12-gauge shotgun on the back passenger-side floorboard, and a .25 caliber pistol in a backpack on the back passenger seat.
DNA analysis confirmed that Mackey's DNA was present on both the shotgun and its magazine. Mackey has previous convictions for seven felonies, including possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault, and fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
The investigation into this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alongside the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys John Cannizzaro and Brenna Falzetta.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that unites law enforcement agencies with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021. This strategy focuses on building trust within communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence before it occurs, establishing strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating results.
