Boynton Beach Man Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon

MIAMI – On Sept. 16, Jacob Elijah Groover, 26, of Fort Pierce, Fla., was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison to be followed by two years’ supervised release by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, after previously pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

In October of 2022, during the execution of a car stop related to a drug investigation, Martin County Sheriff’s Office deputies found a Glock 19 9mm firearm under the driver’s seat of the car Groover was driving. Groover admitted that the firearm was his, and that he knew he was previously convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; and William D. Snyder, Martin County Sheriff, made the announcement. 

HSI Fort Pierce and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted this case.

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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-14052.

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