Jacksonville Repeat-Offender Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison For Possessing Machine Gun

Jacksonville, Florida - Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Markee Washington (34, Jacksonville) to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Washington entered a guilty plea on August 19, 2024.

According to court documents, on February 11, 2023, at approximately 10:45 p.m., a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop of a car that Washington was driving. The trooper was quickly joined at the scene by two officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Based on Washington's statements that he had been smoking marijuana, as well as the smell of the drug emanating from him and the car, officers searched the car. Inside the gap between the car's ceiling and roof (which was accessible by removing the overhead sunglasses compartment), an officer located a bundle of cash and a 9mm Glock pistol.

The pistol was loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. It also was outfitted with a Glock-switch, a device installed on the pistol that converted it into a fully automatic machinegun. Washington surrendered to the officers a small bag of marijuana that he had hidden down his pants. He also had a stack of cash in his pants' pocket. In total, $2,447 was seized.

An investigator later obtained a search warrant authorizing law enforcement to obtain a DNA sample from Washington. Laboratory testing determined that his DNA was both on the exterior of the Glock pistol and on ammunition loaded inside the pistol's magazine.

On the day of the traffic stop, Washington had various prior felony convictions, including multiple drug-trafficking offenses. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited by law from possessing firearms and ammunition.

This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Milliron and Michael J. Coolican.

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.