A 24-year-old convicted felon from Ocala, who was caught with several loaded firearms in his possession after leading police on a high-speed chase in 2023, has been sentenced to multiple years in federal prison.
On Monday, November 25, 2024, U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber sentenced Marcus Cleaver Morgan, Jr. to four years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Morgan pleaded guilty to the charge in July.
According to court records, on January 14, 2023, Ocala Police Department officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle that was being driven by Morgan. When he failed to stop, a high-speed pursuit was initiated by police.
The chase came to an end when Morgan’s vehicle crashed into an embankment. Inside the vehicle, officers found a backpack near the open driver’s side door, which is where Morgan had been seated.
While searching the backpack, officers found two loaded handguns, 239 grams of marijuana, 33.5 grams of MDPV, and a scale.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted testing on the handguns, confirming that Morgan’s DNA was present on the trigger, grip, and slide of one of the firearms.
Morgan has a prior state felony conviction for carrying a concealed firearm. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Additionally, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence.