Convicted Felon Sentenced To Over Nine Years In Prison For Possession Of A Firearm

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Mar’keise Bates (31, Jacksonville) to nine years and two months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Bates pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025.

According to court documents, police were dispatched to the River City Inn on March 3, 2025, in response to a disturbance. A hotel employee reported she had asked Bates to leave the hotel. Despite that, Bates returned with what appeared to be a gun in his waistband. The employee then saw another individual running while saying that Bates had pulled a gun on him. Police obtained surveillance video, which showed Bates holding a gun and pointing it at another person before running off. After viewing the surveillance video, police apprehended Bates and recovered the firearm he possessed, a Beretta M9 9mm semi-automatic pistol, in one of the hotel rooms. Prior to this, Bates was convicted of multiple felonies, including felony battery, robbery, aggravated battery upon a pregnant female, and sale of cocaine.           

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.