Gee Seymour, a 31-year-old resident of Opa-Locka, has entered a guilty plea for possessing a stolen firearm and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The United States Attorney's Office announced Seymour's plea, which carries up to 15 years of federal imprisonment for each count. The date for his sentencing has yet to be determined.
Documents from the court detail how Seymour stole a Ruger LC9 9mm pistol from a pawn shop in Clearwater on December 13, 2023. The shop owner contacted the ATF Tampa office and the Clearwater Police Department the following day to report the theft. Seymour was stopped in St. Petersburg that same day, just after midnight, because his vehicle had no operable lights. The police officers who conducted the traffic stop smelled marijuana, which led to a search of the vehicle and the discovery of the stolen firearm.
Federal law staunchly prohibits convicted felons like Seymour from possessing firearms or ammunition, a fact underscored in his admission during a December 21, 2023, interview with ATF agents. According to the information obtained by the office of United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg, Seymour fully admitted to the theft of the weapon and his criminal status at the time.
This case falls under the auspices of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a robust collaboration seeking to mitigate violent crime and gun violence with the broader goal of enhancing safety in communities across the nation. The current administration fortified PSN on May 26, 2021, with a strategic focus that seeks support from community organizations in preventing crimes before their inception, establishing trust within the communities, pinpointing enforcement priorities, and measuring the tangible outcomes of these initiatives.
The collaborative effort to bring Seymour to justice involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, alongside the Clearwater and St. Petersburg Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee is the lead prosecutor for the case.
