Feds accused man under protective order of having short-barreled rifle

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Attorney has indicted Joshua Lee Hill, 32, of Jacksonville, with possessing a short-barreled rifle that was not registered to him and with possessing a firearm while he was subject to a state order of protection against repeat violence.

According to the indictment, Hill had a Smith & Wesson rifle with a barrel less than 16 inches in length on August 28, 2018, that was not registered to him. Rifles with barrels of less than 16 inches long are required by federal law to be registered.

The indictment also charges that, at the time Hill possessed the short-barreled rifle, he was under an injunction for protection against repeat violence that had been issued in 2015 and that prohibited Hill from stalking or threatening an intimate partner. Individuals subject to such an order are prohibited from possessing any firearms.

If convicted on all counts, Hill faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.