Jacksonville Man Indicted For Possessing Short Barreled Rifle While Under A Repeat Violence Injunction

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Joshua Lee Hill (32, Jacksonville) with possessing a short-barreled rifle that was not registered to him and with possessing a firearm while he was subject to a state order of protection against repeat violence.  If convicted on all counts, Hill faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, on August 28, 2018, Hill possessed a Smith & Wesson rifle with a barrel less than 16 inches in length, which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Rifles with barrels of less than 16 inches in length are required by federal law to be registered. The indictment also charges that, at the time Hill possessed the short-barreled rifle, he was subject to an injunction for protection against repeat violence that had been issued in 2015 and that prohibited Hill from stalking or threatening an intimate partner.  Individuals who are subject to such an order are prohibited from possessing any firearms.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.