A Tampa man with a criminal history stretching back to 2009 has been sentenced to over 17 years in prison for his latest offense. Jutaurio Preshae Clemons, 39, was convicted for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for violating his supervised release, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Details from the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicate that Clemons's supervised release was part of his previous sentence for drug trafficking and firearm offenses. However, while on release, he was implicated in an attempted murder and robbery on August 14, 2022. Florida authorities subsequently issued an arrest warrant. When the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him on August 29, 2022, Clemons was carrying a loaded Glock pistol.
The hearing last Tuesday, established that Clemons used this firearm to seriously injure a man outside his home, taking the victim's cellphone before fleeing the scene. Surveillance footage captured the crime, and the victim later identified Clemons as the perpetrator. The statement from the Attorney's Office remarks, "Clemons then dragged the victim from the front of his residence, took his cellphone, and fled the scene." This brutal episode left the victim with multiple gunshots wounds requiring several surgeries.
As a result of these actions, U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington sentenced Clemons to 17 years and 4 months in federal prison. Clemons has also been ordered to forfeit the weapon and ammunition used in the crime. The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) — a national initiative aiming to reduce violent crime through partnership between various levels of law enforcement and communities they serve. The official announcement highlights the 2021 strategy to strengthen PSN, with a focus on trust building, community engagement, strategic enforcement, and outcome measurement.
