Florida Man Charged with Shooting at Uber Driver and Possession of Illegal Firearms and Narcotics

A Miami man made his first appearance in federal court today after a grand jury in Miami charged him with drug crimes, using and firing a gun as part of the drug crime, and illegal firearm possession by a prior felon relating to his prior felony conviction.

"This defendant shot repeatedly at an innocent man who stopped a crime as it was happening," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "It was through the bravery of the Uber driver that police were alerted and able stop the movement of almost a kilogram of pure cocaine from hitting the streets of Miami. The Criminal Division will pursue violent drug dealers in every city in America."

"There is a real and dangerous link between drug trafficking and gun violence," said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. "According to the indictment, this defendant arranged a drug deal and then fired multiple shots at a rideshare driver. That kind of alleged conduct turns a drug crime into a life-threatening situation in seconds. Federal law treats that combination seriously, with a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years if convicted."

According to court documents, on or about Oct. 29, 2024, the defendant Lester Leon Sanders, 47, of Miami Gardens, allegedly reserved an Uber ride share. When the driver arrived, the defendant and another man loaded three suitcases in the Uber. While this was happening, the Uber driver saw a firearm magazine fall out of Sanders's clothing.

Sanders got into the Uber and he and the driver drove off. Shortly thereafter, Sanders ordered the driver to stop the car. Sanders got out of the vehicle and began shouting. The driver, concerned with what he had observed, drove off without Sanders but with the luggage and other belongings still in the car. Sanders shouted at the Uber driver and fired a gun approximately five times as the Uber driver sped away.

The driver then flagged down police and relayed what had happened. Law enforcement arrested Sanders a short time later. Inside of the Uber, police recovered a loaded, large-capacity firearm magazine, 929 grams of almost pure cocaine, six pounds of marijuana, and more ammunition, as well as drug paraphernalia, such as a weight scale and multiple small transparent bags. They also found shell casings in the vicinity of where Sanders fired at the Uber.

If convicted, Sanders faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance provided by the Miami Gardens Police Department.

Trial Attorneys Jennifer Burns and Jinah Chang of the Justice Department's Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Criminal Division's Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Miami. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute offenders and prevent violence.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.