Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Otis L. Shivers (49, Jacksonville) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Shivers faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Shivers that the United States intends to forfeit a revolver and six live rounds of ammunition.
According to the indictment, on October 29, 2021, Shivers was arrested by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officers outside a motel in the Lane Avenue area of Jacksonville. Shivers had a revolver loaded with six live rounds in his possession. At the time, Shivers had five previous felony convictions for selling drugs and therefore is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus P. Zomorodian.
This case is part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.