LEESBURG, Fla. – A Leesburg man will spend nearly four years in federal prison after a 2019 traffic stop led to the discovery of a loaded handgun. Kevin Eugene Leeks, Jr., 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to a term of three years and 10 months for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
The sentence follows a guilty plea entered by Leeks on October 31, 2025. According to court documents and the announcement made by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, Leeks has maintained a felony record since 2013, with prior convictions including robbery with a deadly weapon.
The incident occurred on July 13, 2019, when a deputy from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a vehicle driven by Leeks.
During the encounter, Leeks told a passenger to throw his loaded pistol out of the car window. Deputies recovered the weapon at the scene and took Leeks into custody. Federal law strictly prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) worked alongside the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the case, which was eventually prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
This prosecution is tied to Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative designed to curb violent crime through coordination between law enforcement and local communities.
The program, which saw a strategic relaunch in May 2021, focuses on building community trust and prioritizing enforcement to improve public safety.
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