Convicted Felon Jeffrey Walt Boston (45, Orlando) has been sentenced to 8 years and 8 months in federal prison for firearm and cocaine distribution offenses. Boston pleaded guilty on September 5, 2017.
According to court documents, Jeffrey Walt Boston was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. On March 1, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Boston’s residence and seized two firearms, ammunition, and cocaine.
Jeffrey Walt Boston is a felon who had previously been convicted in state court of resisting arrest with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, delivery of cocaine, and possession of cocaine.
Boston’s criminal history includes more than 20 arrests and 15 convictions. Boston has been incarcerated for much of his adult life, including more than 10 years in state prison. Boston also has a significant history of drug abuse and mental health issues.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Demers noted the serious nature of the offense and Boston’s extensive criminal history. Judge Demers also sentenced Boston to 5 years of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit the firearms and ammunition seized by law enforcement. Boston will be required to register as a convicted felon upon his release from prison. Boston will also be subject to the restrictions of the federal Armed Career Criminal Act, which imposes enhanced penalties on defendants who possess firearms and have three or more prior convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses. Boston’s sentence includes a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local PSN Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. In this case, the Orlando Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
What is Project Safe Neighborhoods?
The project is a crime prevention program that was launched in 2001. The program is designed to reduce gun violence and violent crime in communities across the United States. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a partnership between law enforcement, prosecutors, and community members who work together to develop strategies to address crime in their communities.
The PSN Program has three primary components:
- Proactive investigations and prosecutions
- Reactive prosecutions, and
- Training and outreach.
The PSN model is based upon careful analysis of violent crime at the local level that informs the development of a strategic plan. As part of this strategy, the program focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The overall PSN Strategy is to implement a four-prong approach to combat gun, gang, and violent crimes, which includes, law enforcement, schools, community organizations, and a focus on deterrence.
The goals of this program are to:
- increase the capacity of PSN task forces to design data-driven strategies that produce measurable decreases in firearms-related crime, and
- improve the long-term ability of federal, state, and local agencies to work together to understand, prosecute, and prevent firearms-related violent crime within their jurisdictions.
What Does Project Safe Neighborhoods Do?
The PSN provides funding and training to law enforcement and prosecutors so they can work together to investigate and prosecute gun crimes. The program also funds community outreach programs that provide support and resources to people who live in high-crime areas.
The project is credited with reducing gun violence and violent crime in communities across the United States. In the years since the program was launched, gun crime has declined by nearly 50%. PSN is a proven and effective crime prevention program that makes communities safer for everyone.
National partners engaged in the PSN initiative include:
PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. More information about Project Safe Neighborhoods can be found at the PSN website: www.psn.gov.