Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Kevin Eugene Leeks, Jr. (34, Leesburg) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Leeks faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the court records, Leeks has been a convicted felon since 2013. His prior felony convictions include robbery with a deadly weapon. As a convicted felon, Leeks is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. On July 13, 2019, a deputy from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office stopped an automobile driven by Leeks. During the traffic stop, Leeks had a passenger toss a loaded firearm out of the car window. Leeks subsequently confessed that he had stored the firearm under his seat in the automobile.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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.