Tampa Gang Leader Sentenced To Nearly Four Years For Possessing A Firearm As A Convicted Felon

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Devin Kelly (27, Tampa) to three years and ten months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Kelly to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. Kelly had pleaded guilty on April 19, 2022.

According to court documents, on July 2, 2021, Kelly, a convicted felon, and Keyshawn Watts, also a convicted felon, held and displayed a rifle during an Instagram live video. One week later, investigators searched Kelly’s residence and seized a Ruger AR .556 caliber rifle and an extended magazine loaded with 40 rounds of ammunition. The rifle had features that matched those of the rifle observed by investigators on the Instagram live video. Kelly admitted that the rifle was the same firearm he had displayed on the video.

Kelly was a member of the Bloods street gang and held a leadership position within the gang. At the time he possessed the firearm, Kelly had been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including aggravated assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 

Watts previously pleaded guilty to the same offense. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 4, 2022.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.

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.