In a recent federal court decision, Chadwick Lemaine, age 26, has been sentenced to an eight-year term in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida reported. U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza also mandated the forfeiture of a Glock 19 9mm semiautomatic pistol connected to the crime for which Lemaine had previously entered a guilty plea on July 25.
Lemaine's history includes felony convictions in Florida in 2018 and 2019, thereby banning him from firearm ownership. During a May 26, 2023 traffic stop by the Orlando Police Department, officers discovered a pistol in Lemaine's vehicle—his DNA was found on the weapon, sealing his fate in the eyes of the law. The Federal Bureau of Investigation spearheaded the case against Lemaine and the Orlando Police Department, and Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate prosecuted it.
The conviction forms part of the broader Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a cornerstone federal program aimed at curbing violent crime and gun violence. Since its revitalization by the Department of Justice on May 26, 2021, PSN has sought to knit together varying strands of law enforcement and community relations, emphasizing the building of trust, supporting community organizations that work towards preventing violence, enforcing strategic priorities, and meticulously tracking the program's effectiveness.
