Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Keo Ibua Mike (29, Ocala) to eight years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Mike had pleaded guilty plea on August 23, 2022.
According to court documents, on November 7, 2019, law enforcement officers arrested Mike on outstanding warrants at a house in Ocala that smelled strongly of marijuana. Investigators obtained a search warrant and recovered methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and MDMA from inside the home. They also discovered three loaded firearms in the attic—a handgun, an AR-15 “ghost” pistol (with no manufacturer markings), and an AK-47 rifle. A photograph from Mike’s social media account showed him holding the AR-15 pistol hours before the arrest (see photos below):
DNA testing by FBI later conclusively linked Mike to the firearms. Mike’s prior criminal record includes a state felony conviction for aggravated assault with a firearm (2009) and a federal conviction for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon (2014). As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was being 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.