An Orlando man could be looking at some serious time behind bars after a federal indictment accused him of illegal firearms possession, prosecutors disclosed recently. Timothy Stephens, age 25, from Orlando, stands charged with two federal offenses: possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, which could saddle him with up to 15 years in prison, and possessing an unregistered machinegun, an offense carrying a potential 10-year sentence.
On the details, The United States Department of Justice reported that Stephens was busted on October 17 with a Glock Model 30 modified into a machinegun—an item he was barred from having due to a prior felony conviction. The machinegun was not, however, listed in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record in his name. Now, while an indictment is not a conviction but a formal accusation, Stephens is presumed innocent until proven guilty according to the law.
Joint efforts by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orlando Police Department made the investigation possible, leading to Stephens's legal predicament. Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson is slotted to serve as prosecutor in the trial. This case, additionally, isn't stand-alone but part of a broader initiative titled Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which stands as the government's broader push to crackdown on violent crime and illegal gun use across communities.
