A man from Ocala, Florida, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Shymiere Montese Howell, 31, pleaded guilty to the charge on July 22, 2025. United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber handed down the sentence.
Court documents show that Howell has 19 prior felony convictions. These include offenses such as possession of a firearm by a felon, child neglect, felony battery, and drug possession. On November 8, 2024, Howell tried to sell a loaded handgun at a pawn shop in Leesburg. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, Howell attempted to escape but was quickly apprehended. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Leesburg Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton prosecuted it.
According to officials, “This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
