FORT MYERS, Fla. — U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Javier Velasquez Jr., 37, from Clewiston, with two counts of distribution cocaine, three counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, illegal possession of a machinegun and carrying of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on all counts, Velasquez Jr. faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Velasquez Jr. that the U.S. intends to forfeit the firearms which are alleged to have facilitated some of the offenses.
According to the indictment, Velasquez Jr. committed the offenses between July 13 and Sept. 19.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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 out neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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