Tampa Career Criminal Headed To Federal Prison On Gun Charges

TAMPA, FL — U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Jerome Miller Jr., 39, of Tampa to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition.

The court also ordered Miller to forfeit the ammunition and a firearm. Miller pleaded guilty on May 23. Miller qualified as an Armed Career Criminal based on his extensive prior criminal history, which includes three prior delivery of cocaine convictions in Tampa.

According to court documents, on Feb. 6, 2022, Miller went to a home in Tampa, threatened a victim with a firearm and demanded his vehicle. The victim was forced to sign over his vehicle to Miller. Miller then took the vehicle registration and car keys and left the home.

Law enforcement officers were called to the home to complete a report on the robbery and interview the victim. The victim’s vehicle was reported stolen and entered into law enforcement databases.

Two days later, Miller was found while driving the victim’s vehicle and was arrested and searched. A loaded magazine and narcotics were found in Miller’s coat pocket during the search, according to court records. The magazine contained six rounds of Aguila .380 caliber ammunition.

The officers also located a semi-automatic firearm in the vehicle’s center console. That firearm was loaded with eight rounds of Aguila .380 ammunition. The firearm was impounded and sent for further forensic DNA testing. The testing concluded that Miller’s DNA was on the firearm.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.