A convicted felon in a Brandon road rage shooting has been sentenced to federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber sentenced 44-year-old James Eugene Smith, of Wimauma, to eight years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The court also ordered Smith to forfeit the firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of January 14, 2023, Smith was driving west on Bloomingdale Avenue in Brandon, near Tampa. Smith believed that a driver in a black sedan was brake checking (applying brakes and causing the following vehicle to slow down) him, while a separate driver prevented Smith from passing. Smith eventually passed both cars using the bi-directional center lane before brake checking the black sedan in return. The driver of the black sedan eventually drove around Smith.
Smith and the driver of the black sedan then exchanged gunfire.
Smith, in an alleged attempt to see the tag of the black sedan, made a U-turn. After making the U-turn, Smith spotted a gray sedan that he thought was the black sedan. Smith opened fire, endangering the lives of the two victims – the driver and a passenger in the front seat. The gray sedan then turned into a gas station. Smith followed the vehicle into the gas station, again firing at it. Neither victim was shot.
At the time of the incident, Smith had multiple prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon Smith is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench. Smith entered a guilty plea on December 18, 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
