A 25-year-old convicted felon from Orlando has been indicted less than two month after he was allegedly caught with a machine gun in his possession.
On Monday, November 25, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the return of an indictment charging Timothy Eugene Stephens, Jr. with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing an unregistered machine gun.
According to court records, the Orlando Police Department’s gang unit responded to the Richmond Heights neighborhood in Orlando on Thursday, October 17 after receiving tips on social media regarding several individuals who were “unlawfully violating several firearm violations against Florida State statutes.”
In the OPD arrest report, an officer referred to Richmond Heights as a “known gang area territory.” While searching this neighborhood, in the area of Prince Hall Boulevard and Culmer Court, detectives observed four men who were “briskly walking away” from them.
One of those men was identified in the report as Stephens, and he was detained by the detectives. During a pat-down search of Stephens, a black Glock 30 was allegedly found in his waistband. The firearm, which had been reported stolen by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, had a loaded magazine, a round in the chamber, and an auto-sear was attached.
“An auto-sear is a common device used to convert a conventional semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machine gun,” noted an officer in the report.
Earlier this year, in March, Stephens was sentenced to four years of active felony probation for aggravated animal cruelty in Volusia County. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
In addition, the machine gun allegedly found in Stephens’ possession was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
If convicted of the firearm possession charge, Stephens faces up to 15 years in federal prison. In the event he is found guilty of possessing an unregistered machine gun, he faces up to 10 years behind bars.
This case was investigated by the Orlando Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
Additionally, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence.