Career Offender Sentenced To Over 21 Years For Assaulting A Federal Officer With A Dangerous And Deadly Weapon

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Abasi Akeem Smith (30, Orlando) to 21 years and 6 months in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous or deadly weapon. Smith’s criminal history includes multiple drug-trafficking convictions, so he was sentenced as a career offender pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Commission Guidelines. Moreover, he was on federal supervised release at the time of the assault, and his sentence includes 18 months’ imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release. Smith was convicted on February 7, 2017, following a jury trial.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on March 30, 2016, task force officers with the U.S. Marshals Service Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force were seeking to apprehend Smith pursuant to a felony arrest warrant and located him driving a vehicle. When the officers attempted to block Smith into a parking lot, he rammed one of the officer’s vehicles and then attempted to escape before hitting a fence and another, unoccupied vehicle. Smith subsequently jumped over the fence and fled on foot, before eventually being apprehended.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Embry J. Kidd.