Fort Myers Man Sentenced To More Than 15 Years In Federal Prison

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Tavares E. Felton (41, Fort Myers) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for the illegal possession a firearm by a convicted felon. Felton, a three-time convicted felon, was subject to enhanced penalties under the Armed Career Criminal statute. The Court also ordered him to forfeit two firearms, high-capacity magazines, and ammunition associated with the offense, namely a Sig Sauer 5.56mm semi-automatic rifle and a Saiga AK-47 style 7.62mm semi-automatic rifle.          

According to court documents, a member of the Fort Myers Police Department was investigating a domestic incident at a residence where Felton resided. Officers obtained a search warrant in connection with the domestic incident, and later procured a second warrant. During the execution of the second warrant, police found large quantities of heroin, sealed for distribution, Alprazolam pills, a bag containing $18,000 in bundled cash, and two assault rifles in Felton’s bedroom. 

At the time of the incident, Felton had already been convicted of selling controlled substances, including heroin, on three prior occasions. Therefore, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Fort Myers Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles D. Schmitz.