FLORIDA – An Ocala convicted felon has been sentenced to more than three years for illegally possessing a firearm.
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Ricky Darnell Franklin, Jr., 31, has been sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell to three years and four months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the handgun and ammunition used in the offense.
Franklin pleaded guilty on December 12, 2022.
According to court records, Franklin has four prior state felony convictions, including two convictions for attempted second-degree murder with a firearm (2010), shooting at or into an occupied vehicle (2010), and possession of a firearm by a delinquent (2010).
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On September 30, 2021, officers from the City of Ocala Police Department stopped a vehicle in which Franklin was a passenger and said they recovered methamphetamine and a loaded handgun from the car. Reportedly, laboratory testing by the FBI conclusively showed Franklin’s DNA on multiple parts of the loaded firearm, including the trigger.
As a convicted felon, Franklin is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
The City of Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
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