Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Lonnie Lorenzo Hollingsworth, Jr. (37, Ocala) to three years in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. Hollingsworth had been found guilty following a bench trial on October 15, 2021.
According to court documents, Hollingsworth had previously threatened the Marion County Sheriff, and his deputies, in connection with an event on March 10, 2013, wherein Hollingsworth was shot by an individual Hollingsworth was attempting to rob. The incident resulted in Hollingsworth being arrested and convicted for attempted strong arm robbery. Despite his guilty plea in that case, Hollingsworth blamed the Sheriff’s Office for his prosecution, claiming that he was a victim.
On December 18, 2020, Hollingsworth walked into the Marion County Jail visitation center and handed over a package containing a “manifesto” detailing his desire to retaliate against the Sheriff. Four days later, he taped an identical copy of the manifesto to the doors of the Marion County Courthouse.
Three months later, on April 5, 2021, Hollingsworth called 911 from an Ocala gas station and threatened the Sheriff with violence. Ocala Police officers responded to the scene and were successful in deescalating the situation with Hollingsworth. A round of ammunition was found in Hollingsworth’s possession, which he is prohibited from possessing under federal law due to his five prior felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
This case is being prosecuted as 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.