Jerome Junior Swopshire, a 40-year-old man from Silver Springs, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to serve eight years in federal prison. Swopshire, a multi-convicted felon, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. The sentencing, which took place on July 29, also included an order for Swopshire to forfeit the firearm involved in the offense, according to a recent release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Details were made public by court documents that outlined the events leading up to Swopshire's arrest on August 9, 2023. Information had been received by the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force about Swopshire's whereabouts in Ocala, Florida. Task force officers were able to quickly locate and subsequently detain Swopshire as he was getting ready to hop into a rented vehicle. A search of his backpack discovered a loaded Taurus pistol equipped with an extended magazine, a digital scale with traces of cocaine, marijuana, and small baggies. Moreover, a substance confirmed to be fentanyl was found in the vehicle's center console, alongside additional baggies.
The sentencing reflects the gravity of Swopshire's crimes, considering his extensive criminal record, which includes previous convictions for robbery, child abuse, resisting an officer with violence, felony domestic battery, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. As a convicted felon, Swopshire was already prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
