FLORIDA — A convicted felon suspected of shoplifting at a Jacksonville gas station store and allegedly found with a handgun in his pocket has been sentenced.
Terry Lenard Shipman, 48, of Jacksonville, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis to five years and five months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Shipman pleaded guilty in December 2022.
According to court documents, on February 5, 2022, an officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office observed Shipman steal two alcoholic beverages from a RaceTrac gas station in Jacksonville. Shipman reportedly hid the beverages in his coat pocket and was confronted by the officer as he exited the store.
Once detained, the officer is said to have retrieved the stolen merchandise from Shipman’s pocket, along with a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver. At the time, Shipman had multiple felony convictions and had recently been released from prison for selling narcotics.
As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro prosecuted it. Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran will handle the forfeiture.
