North Fort Myers Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearms As A Convicted Felon

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Jessie William Korff (30, North Fort Myers) with being a felon in possession of firearms. If convicted, Korff faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. 

According to the complaint, Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) officers responded to a Fort Myers residence, where they declared a suspected hostage situation. Officers entered the lanai of the residence and saw a firearm appear during a scuffle with a male and female. Officers separated the male from the female and tried to detain the male. The male was later identified as Jesse William Korff.

Officers observed what appeared to be a bomb on Korff’s person when trying to detain him. Korff spontaneously said, “I have bombs” when being detained. In addition to the firearm, officers observed a bulge with wires coming out of Korff’s pocket and another object next to Korff, along with loaded magazines. A federal warrant was obtained for Korff’s vehicle and agents located an AR-style firearm, multiple suspected silencers, ammunition, and a tactical-style vest.

Korff was previously convicted on February 19, 2015, of multiple felonies, including the transfer and possession of a toxin for use as a weapon, smuggling toxins from the United States, and conspiracy to kill, maim, or injure a person in a foreign country. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

A criminal complaint 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 Mark Morgan.

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.