A Middleburg man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Todd Wade Powers, 38, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard after pleading guilty in April 2025.
Court documents show that on April 30, 2024, Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a complaint at a gas station. They noticed a car with a license plate reported stolen from Jacksonville. Inside the vehicle, deputies found an open backpack containing a firearm and cocaine visible at the top. A further search revealed fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and two loaded firearms.
Deputies linked Powers to the car. He later admitted ownership of both the firearms and drugs found inside. Powers has 14 prior felony convictions including possession of controlled substances, felony petit theft, sale or delivery of controlled substances, dealing in stolen property, and false verification of ownership on a pawnbroker transaction form. Federal law prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition due to these convictions.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams prosecuted it.
According to the Department of Justice, this prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by coordinating efforts among law enforcement agencies and community organizations nationwide. The PSN strategy was strengthened in May 2021 to focus on building trust within communities and supporting programs that prevent violence before it occurs.
“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: 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.”
