Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Ronrico Lionel Farmer (33, Ocala) to five years and four months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Farmer had pleaded guilty on June 16, 2022.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2021, a City of Ocala police officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Farmer. Farmer gave the officer a false name to conceal his suspended license. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a powdery substance (fentanyl), which Farmer referred to as “his children’s candy,” on the driver’s door and floorboard. Also on the floorboard, the officer discovered a loaded 9mm handgun with an extended magazine. The FBI conducted a DNA analysis of the recovered firearm and determined, with a likelihood ratio of 190 sextillion, that Farmer’s DNA was on the weapon. As a multi-convicted felon, Farmer is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
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. 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.