Brims gang member and felon sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm while a fugitive from justice (DOJ)

Tampa, Florida - Lonnie Washington (25, Gainesville) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Washington pleaded guilty on April 28, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, in May 2022, Washington was a fugitive for a felony he had committed in Gainesville one month earlier when he used his vehicle to strike a police car occupied by an officer and then fled on foot. Investigators learned that Washington, who was a known member of the Fruit Town Brims gang, was hiding at the home of gang leader Micheal Hankerson in Poinciana. The FBI learned that Washington, while on the run from law enforcement, had posted a statement on social media, "I'm finna go on a killing run," which demonstrated that he knew he was wanted and that he should be considered armed and dangerous.

On May 10, 2022, a United States Marshals Service (USMS) Fugitive Task Force team, working in collaboration with the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), went to Hankerson's residence to apprehend Washington. After Washington refused calls to come out of the home and voluntarily surrender, the USMS team entered the home. While performing a protective sweep of the residence, officers observed a semi-automatic firearm in Hankerson's bedroom. They found Washington in an adjacent bedroom and arrested him.

FDLE investigators searched the house and recovered a CZ Scorpion Evo 3 semi-automatic firearm with a loaded 50-round drum magazine in Hankerson's bedroom found. The search team found additional firearms in the home and an additional magazine, loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition, in Hankerson's bedroom.

The FBI obtained a search warrant for a cellphone Washington possessed at the time of his arrest. While reviewing the contents of the cellphone, the FBI found a video, recorded one week before his arrest, showing Washington inside Hankerson's residence holding the CZ Scorpion Evo 3 firearm with the magazine that was later found in Hankerson's bedroom.

Washington, who had previously been convicted of felony offenses including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

Hankerson, also a previously convicted felon, was federally charged and found guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in 2022. He was sentenced to six years in federal prison and ordered him to forfeit the firearms and ammunition found in his home.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.