A North Miami man, Alphonso Gainer, 37, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of kidnapping and possessing firearms as a felon during a home invasion, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. On January 6, U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks issued the sentence following Gainer’s convictions on one count of kidnapping and three counts of being a felon in possession of firearms or ammunition.
On July 11, 2023, Gainer broke into a North Miami home and discharged a firearm, narrowly missing the occupant, before fleeing the scene and evading responding police officers, according to court documents. Later that day, he returned and forced the victim into his rental car at gunpoint. The victim was able to escape and took a photograph of the vehicle’s license plate, which helped authorities identify Gainer.
Gainer used a firearm during a home invasion and committed a kidnapping, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative aimed at apprehending violent offenders and promoting public safety.
Investigators linked a firearm recovered from Gainer’s residence to shell casings found at the crime scene through ballistics evidence presented at trial. The case was investigated jointly by the ATF Miami Field Division and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Mikulic and Altanese P. Phenelus prosecuted the case.
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