Kevin Eugene Leeks, Jr., a 34-year-old resident of Leesburg, Florida, has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. Leeks faces up to 10 years in federal prison, though a sentencing date has not been determined.
Court records show that Leeks has been a convicted felon since 2013, with previous convictions including robbery with a deadly weapon. Federal law prohibits felons from possessing firearms and ammunition. On July 13, 2019, Leeks was stopped by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office while driving. During the stop, he instructed his passenger to throw a loaded firearm out of the car window. Leeks later admitted that he had kept the firearm under his seat.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson is prosecuting.
“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,” according to the press release. “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.”
