A 39-year-old Jacksonville man, Tocorey Gibbs, has been sentenced to a term of 32 months in prison, to be tailed by 3 years of supervised release. This judgment comes following his conviction on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida.
The sentencing, handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard, concluded the legal process that commenced with Gibbs's arrest on January 10, 2024. Riding a bicycle without a headlight in Jacksonville's Lackawanna neighborhood, Gibbs was stopped by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. During the stop, despite just being released from a 15-year prison term for aggravated assault and illegal firearm possession, officers discovered he was once again armed with a pistol—a loaded .40 caliber, says U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida.
Gibbs, who stood trial on March 19, 2025, was found guilty again. The conviction spotlights the continuous efforts of law enforcement to clamp down on gun violence through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative which brings together all levels of law enforcement and community organizations. Its aim is to reduce violent crime and gun violence, fostering safer communities.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked in conjunction with local authorities on the investigation that led up to Gibbs’s latest conviction. With the lead taken by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot, the efforts fall under the violent crime reduction strategy announced on May 26, 2021, by the Department. This strategy focuses on "fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
