September 1, 2020
By: Staff Report
OCALA, Fla. – Christopher Maurice McCallum, Jr. (28, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
In a related case, McCallum also admitted to violations of his federal supervision for possessing the same firearm. He could receive an additional two years in federal prison for these violations. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
McCallum was arrested in April of 2019 on a charge of threatening a mass shooting for a rap in which referenced a rival and said “catch you at a Gator game and shoot the whole campus up”, but the felony charge was later dropped.
According to the plea agreement, on May 25, 2020, City of Ocala police officers responded to a shooting in a local neighborhood. The officers observed McCallum attempting to flee the area in a vehicle. McCallum was apprehended after a short pursuit after he abandoned the vehicle and tried to run on foot. Officers recovered a stolen AR-15 rifle, loaded with ammunition, from the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle. McCallum, a multi-convicted felon, was on supervision for a federal weapons offense. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
On June 7, 2020, officers again arrested McCallum on several outstanding federal warrants relating to this conduct. At the time of his arrest, McCallum had barricaded himself inside an apartment. A subsequent search of the apartment revealed two more loaded firearms—a stolen handgun and another AR-15 rifle—along with illegal drugs and paraphernalia.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.