Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Cleate Wilson (40, Tampa) with forcibly resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with two Deputy United States Marshals and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted on both counts, Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 11 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Wilson that the United States intends to forfeit an H&K 9mm firearm and 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
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 United States Marshals Service, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
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.