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Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Rick Ramsey, Monroe County Sheriff, announce that on July 1, 2013, U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez sentenced William J. Britt, 55, of Key West, Florida, to 18 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and registration as a sex offender.
On November 8, 2012, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Britt’s Ford Econoline van and arrested Britt on a state warrant for possession of child pornography. During a consensual search of the van, law enforcement found a Harrington and Richardson 20 gauge shotgun that was sawed off at both the barrel and the stock. In addition, law enforcement seized numerous computers, hard drives and thumb drives during a consensual search of Britt’s recreational vehicle, located at Naval Air Station, Sigsbee Trailer Park, Key West, Florida. A forensic analysis revealed that the computers and computer-related equipment contained thousands of images and movies containing child pornography, which include minor children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
On February 14, 2013, Britt was charged in a superseding indictment with possessing child pornography, receiving child pornography, and possessing a firearm not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. On April 17, 2013, Britt pled guilty to receiving child pornography and possessing the unregistered firearm.
Mr. Ferrer commends the investigative efforts of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Key West State Attorney’s Office, HSI, ATF, and FBI for their assistance and their work on this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elina A. Rubin-Smith and Robert T. Watson.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.