Eight Manatee suspects indicted, 12 firearms seized as part of feds’ crime crackdown

Eight suspects have been indicted and 12 firearms seized in Manatee County in the last three months as part of an initiative to reduce violent crime in the state, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced Tuesday.

Throughout the 35 counties that comprise the district, there have been 125 suspects indicted and 227 firearms and assorted ammunition seized as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Initiative. The initiative is part of the ongoing efforts of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national strategy to reduce gun violence in communities by local, state and federal law enforcement.

The Tampa office in the district has joined forces with law enforcement agencies in eight counties as well as the State Attorneys’ Offices in the 6th, 12th and 13th Judicial Circuits to investigate and prosecute violent crime and firearms cases.

“In August 2017, I directed every prosecutor in the Criminal Division to assist in the prosecution of firearm and violent crime cases,” Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Muldrow said in a statement. “Over the past three months, we have dedicated additional resources to the prosecution of violent crime and firearm cases. I would like to commend our local, state, and federal partners that have investigated these cases. Our community is safer because of their tremendous efforts. We pledge to continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute these cases.”

The Bradenton Police Department and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office were among the local agencies that helped investigate these cases.

The eight indicted or facing indictments are:

▪  Kevin Lopez Duerte, 19, of Bradenton: indicted in August on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Law enforcement seized one firearm from Duerte. If convicted, Duerte is facing up to 10 years in prison.

▪  Jonathon James Dryburgh, 23, of Ellenton: indicted in August on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Law enforcement seized one firearm from Dryburgh. If convicted, Dryburgh is facing up to 10 years in prison.

▪  Woodrow Pressey, 46, of Bradenton: indicted in September on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Law enforcement seized five firearms from Pressey. If convicted, Pressey is facing up to 30 years in prison.

▪  Antwan Williams, 34, of Bradenton: indicted in October on one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Law enforcement seized one firearm from Williams. If convicted, Williams is facing up to life in prison with a minimum mandatory of 47 years.

▪  Tronesh Sparkels Akerman, 24, of Palmetto: indicted in October on one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Law enforcement seized one firearm from Akerman. If convicted, Akerman is facing up to life in prison with a minimum mandatory of seven years.

▪  Rashica Shaguana Ford, 39, of Palmetto: charges of conspiracy to attempt to damage and destroy by means of fire and explosive and attempt to damage and destroy by means of fire and explosive. If convicted, Ford is facing up to 20 years in prison with a minimum mandatory of five years.

▪  Ashanti Roundtree, 42, of Bradenton: charges with of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Investigators seized one firearm from Roundtree. If convicted, Roundtree is facing up to life in prison with a minimum mandatory of 5 years.

▪  Ian Brook Weigant, 44, of Bradenton: charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Investigators seized two firearms from Weigant. If convicted, Weigant is facing up to 20 years in prison.

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 8:51 PM with the headline "Eight Manatee suspects indicted, 12 firearms seized as part of feds’ crime crackdown."