A Boynton Beach man, identified as Jacob Elijah Groover, has been handed a sentence of over five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The 26-year-old from Fort Pierce was sentenced on Monday to 70 months to be followed by two years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, as confirmed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Detailing the arrest, officials reported that in October of 2022, deputies from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office discovered a Glock 19 9mm firearm beneath the driver’s seat during a traffic stop linked to a drug investigation. Groover, at the scene, admitted to owning the gun, knowing full well that his prior felony conviction barred him from possessing any firearms. Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Anthony Salisbury, of Homeland Security Investigations; and Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder, collectively announced the outcome of the case.
The collaborative law enforcement effort included HSI Fort Pierce and the Martin County Sheriff's Office, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) lending a hand in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock carried responsibility for the prosecution.
This case forms part of the broader Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, designed to combine efforts across various law enforcement levels and communities in a bid to reduce gun violence and other serious offenses. The Department, realizing the pressing weight of crime in our midst, set into motion a violent crime reduction strategy back on May 26, 2021, that rests upon key pillars: building trust in communities, backing organizations engaged in preemptive action against violence, and setting enforcement priorities with discerning precision to assess the impact effectively.
Those interested in additional details or related documents can find them on the Southern District of Florida's District Court website or by navigating to the case information on the PACER system — the public can access this under case number 23-cr-14052.
