April 6, 2009
For more information contact:
Supervisory AUSA Karen Rhew
(850) 942-8430
ARCHER MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF PIPE BOMBS, FIREARMS IN CONNECTION WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING OFFENSE
Tallahassee, Florida – E. Bryan Wilson, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced that on April 6, 2009, TIMOTHY ROBERT TREFFINGER (43), of Archer, Florida was sentenced to a total of 517 months in federal prison for manufacture of marijuana, possession of firearms and destructive devices in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of an unregistered silencer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c), Title 21 United States Code, Section 841, and Title 26, United States Code, Section 5861. The Court ordered Mr. Treffinger to pay a $10,000 fine, $500 Special Monetary Assessment and will be on 5 years supervised release following his release from federal prison. The Court also ordered the forfeiture of his house, a motorcycle, $5,000 in cash, $11,000 in gold coins, 39 guns and a trailer.
Evidence introduced at Treffinger’s trial held in January of this year, in United States District Court in Gainesville, established that Treffinger had been growing marijuana on his five acre property in Archer, Florida for more than five years. On July 14, 2008, the Drug Enforcement Administration working in conjuction with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Gainesville Police Department and the U. S. Marshall’s Service, conducted a search on Treffinger’s property. They recovered 267 live marijuana plants, 39 firearms, 33 pipe bombs, and thousands of rounds of ammunition during the search. A loaded rifle recovered from the master bedroom was equipped with a silencer and laser aiming system. Testimony given at trial established that Treffinger had made the cast iron or PVC pipe bombs using a black powder, nails, screws and B-B’s. Treffinger also had several booby traps among the pipe bombs which could have been remotely detonated via electronics.
Mr. Wilson commended the work of Gainesville Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Agency, the Gainesville Police Department and the U. S. Marshall’s Service who investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory P. McMahon.