A 31-year-old man from Ocala is facing up to a decade in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced on Monday that Ricky Darnell Franklin, Jr. has pleaded guilty to the firearm possession charge. He had been indicated on May 24, 2022.
Franklin has four prior state felony convictions, including two convictions for attempted second degree murder with a firearm, shooting at or into an occupied vehicle, and possession of a firearm by a delinquent, according to court documents. All of the felony convictions were in 2010.
According to court records, on September 30, 2021, Ocala Police Department officers stopped a vehicle in which Franklin was a passenger. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered methamphetamine and a loaded handgun.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted DNA testing on the recovered firearm, and the results “conclusively showed” that Franklin had possessed the firearm. As a convicted felon, Franklin is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
The case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
A sentencing date for Franklin will soon be scheduled and he is facing up to 10 years in federal prison.