Tampa, FL – A federal jury convicted Jeremy Brown, 48, of Tampa, for possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun and an unregistered short-barreled rifle, two counts of possession of unregistered M67 fragmentation grenades, willful retention of nationwide protection data and unlawful storage of explosives.
In response to proof introduced at trial, on Sept. 30, 2021, the FBI executed an arrest and search warrant at Brown’s residence in Tampa. In the course of the search, brokers discovered an unregistered AR-15-style rifle, modified to have a ten” barrel, in Brown’s bed room. Brokers additionally discovered a sawed-off shotgun, additionally unregistered, on a sofa within Brown’s leisure car (RV), which was parked close to his house. Inside a briefcase subsequent to the shotgun, brokers discovered a labeled Journey Report that Brown had authored shortly earlier than he retired from the U.S. Special Forces. Contained in the bed room of that very same RV, brokers discovered an ammunition vest containing two M-67 fragmentation grenades hidden within the pockets. U.S. Army information confirmed that the grenades had initially been within the possession of the U.S. Army.
Trial proof additionally established that Brown had served as a weapons sergeant within the Special Forces, which might have given him entry to M-67 fragmentation grenades. Lastly, the proof established that the labeled Journey Report contained extremely delicate details about U.S. Division of Protection intelligence – gathering ways, methods, and procedures, together with details about a human supply that, if launched, may have prompted the supply to be arrested, tortured or killed.
Every depend carries a most penalty of 10 years in federal jail. Brown was additionally discovered responsible of unlawful storage of explosives and faces as much as one yr in jail for that offense. His sentencing listening to is scheduled March 13, 2023.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Lawyer Daniel J. Marcet for the Center District of Florida and Trial Lawyer Menno Goedman of the Nationwide Safety Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Management Part are prosecuting the case.
