Crime & Safety
Gun Possession Lands Sarasota Felon In Federal Prison: U.S. DOJ
A Sarasota felon threw a loaded gun in the bushes when he saw the sheriff's office's helicopter following him, the U.S. DOJ said.
SARASOTA, FL — A Sarasota man was sentenced to six years in federal prison for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
Terrence Thompson, 42, pleaded guilty to the charge on June 28, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office answered a 911 call about a disturbance involving Thompson at a home near Lalani Boulevard and Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota.
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The agency’s aviation unit tracked Thompson as he left the home and the helicopter camera recorded him stopping his vehicle and throwing a small pistol-shaped object in the bushes near Crescent Ridge Road and Bee Ridge Road, the DOJ said.
Deputies searching the area found the loaded Bersa Thunder 380 pistol that Thompson discarded.
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He was arrested shortly after this and during an interview with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, he admitted to being a convicted felon and to possessing the pistol. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Thompson also admitted to throwing the gun in the bushes when the helicopter spotted him, the DOJ said.
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