Orlando, FL – A 25-year-old Orlando resident, Malcolm Bellamy, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger handed down the sentence, which also includes the forfeiture of the firearm used during the offense. Bellamy entered a guilty plea on June 6, 2024.
The incident leading to Bellamy’s arrest occurred on April 21, 2023, when a 911 call reported that the driver of a vehicle, identified as Bellamy, had brandished a gun and fired it. Responding officers from the Orlando Police Department arrived to find a man in a confrontation with occupants of a blue sedan. As the officers approached, the sedan drove off, but the man pointed out the vehicle, affirming, “that’s them.”
Police pursued the sedan to Bellamy’s residence in a nearby neighborhood. The front passenger exited the vehicle holding a black object, which he discarded behind a tree before complying with officers’ commands to lie on the ground. Bellamy, the driver, was also detained.
A search behind the tree revealed a black bag containing a chrome 9mm Taurus handgun loaded with 10 rounds. A shell casing at the scene matched the handgun, and DNA swabs confirmed a match with Bellamy. At the time, Bellamy was already a convicted felon due to prior charges of robbery with a firearm and aggravated assault with a firearm, making it illegal for him to possess firearms or ammunition under federal law.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orlando Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lyons and Matthew Del Mastro. It is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. The initiative focuses on building trust, supporting violence prevention programs, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.