Duval County Jury Finds Ellis Guilty of Illegal Possession of Firearm

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Dimitric Ellis guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. With the verdict and because Ellis is a Habitual Felony Offender, he faces up to 30 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Anthony Salem will sentence Ellis at a later date.

On Dec. 10, 2023, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to Pepper Circle East to reports of three men seen leaving a vacant home in the neighborhood. The officers located the three men and told them to stop. Two complied, but Ellis resisted and continued walking down the sidewalk. One officer took hold of Ellis’ arm and brought him to his patrol car where Ellis continued to resist. Eventually, he was arrested and told officers he and his brothers have leasing paperwork that shows they are allowed on the property. Officers did a protective sweep of the home and found the window of a bedroom smashed. Inside that bedroom closet, officers collected Ellis’ Social Security Card and birth certificate as well as drugs and a box of ammunition. Ellis was taken to the Pretrial Detention Facility. An officer did a sweep of his patrol car after Ellis exited the backseat and the officer found a gun on the floorboard. The ammunition within the ammunition box matched the ammunition inside of the firearm in caliber, brands, and weathering. Ellis is a previously convicted felon and is not legally allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Carleshia Jimerson and Robert Reeder.