Roger B. Handberg, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida
U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Dedric Dwayne Rivers, a 52-year-old resident of Moscow, Idaho, to 18 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition after being convicted of a felony. Rivers entered a guilty plea on October 22, 2024.
Court documents reveal that on April 27, 2024, Rivers was at Jacksonville International Airport preparing to board a flight to Idaho when Transportation Security Administration officers discovered an undeclared firearm and ammunition in his checked luggage. The suitcase, which bore Rivers' name, contained an FN509 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a magazine loaded with ten rounds of live ammunition. Additionally, the gun case included three extended magazines holding a total of 70 rounds of live ammunition.
During a voluntary interview, Rivers claimed he believed the gun case only contained ammunition. However, in a phone conversation the following day with his mother, he admitted to previously traveling with a firearm to Jacksonville, Florida. Prior convictions for kidnapping, armed robbery, and aggravated assault legally prohibit Rivers from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Jacksonville Airport Authority, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that unites law enforcement agencies and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The Department's strategy for reducing violent crime emphasizes building trust within communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence before it occurs, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.
