Feds Pursue Firearm Possession Charge Against Gainesville Man
A Gainesville man was federally indicted yesterday for allegedly possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The indictment stems from local charges, and the firearm in question was previously transported across state lines, establishing federal jurisdiction.
On May 28, Gainesville Police Department officers arrested Ramone Ron J. Young Jr., 34, on charges of aggravated domestic assault and possessing a weapon as a violent career criminal.
Officer Wayyan Tin reported the following:
“[Young] intentionally and maliciously pointed a gun to the victim and threatened to kill the victim. [Young] and the victim are blood related cousins and have been living together for about nine months.
Dispatch advised a black male wearing a black shirt and black pants pointed a gun towards the victim.
Upon arrival, I made contact with [Young]... LEO pointed guns at [Young] and asked where the gun was, and [Young] stated he doesn’t have a gun. LEO detained and handcuffed [Young] (checked for fitting and double locked).
The victim stated that [she and Young] were arguing in the living room about [her] not helping [him]. [Young] became upset and pulled a black handgun and pointed it at her head. [Young] stated he was going to kill her while pointing the gun to her head. [Young] ran outside the house with the handgun. The victim saw [Young] [throw] the handgun at the front yard. The victim stated there were no witnesses during the altercation, but [Young] was on the phone [with] his mother when the incident happened.
The K9 successfully located the .40 caliber black handgun in the front yard in the bush.
Post Miranda, [Young] stated they were having an argument. During the argument, the victim pulled out a black handgun and started waving it around. The victim did not point the gun at [Young]. During the altercation, [Young] stated the victim’s friend came inside the house and was telling [him] to take the gun away from her. The victim was saying to take the gun away from her and gave the gun to [Young]. [Young] went outside and threw the gun in the bush to keep it away from her.
The victim stated to LEO that [Young] was on the phone with [his] mother when the incident occurred. [Young] refused to let LEO talk to his mother.
The camera footage showed the outside of the house where the victim was talking to her friend in the SUV before the incident occurred. The friend in the vehicle did not go inside the house and left the area. After the altercation, [Young] ran outside the house and pulled up his shirt next to the bush where the gun was located…
Photographs of the black .40 caliber handgun and found contraband outside the house will be uploaded to evidence.com”
Shortly after his arrest, state prosecutors filed a pretrial detention motion against Young. The motion states that Young “was captured on Ring video with the gun as well as discarding the gun in the bushes.” The motion emphasizes the alleged contradictions between the video evidence and Young’s story regarding the victim’s friend entering the home.
Judge Robert Groeb granted the motion, setting no bond on Young’s aggravated assault charge and a $100,000 bond on the firearm possession charge, making him ineligible for release.
State prosecutors still haven’t filed formal charges against Young, but on June 23, federal prosecutors successfully pursued a federal indictment against him for his alleged unlawful possession of the firearm. Young has felony convictions dating back to the early 2010s for robbery with a weapon and cocaine possession. He served time in prison and was released in January 2016. Following his release, he received an additional charge outside of Florida, but details are unclear.
Young faces up to 15 years in prison for his federal charge.
The case has been assigned to Chief District Judge Allen Winsor.
