A Delray Beach resident was sentenced today to a total of nine years in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Ari C. Shapira, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office, Gadyaces S. Serralta, U.S. Marshal, Southern District of Florida, and Gregory Tony, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.

Pender Senatus, 38, of Delray Beach, was convicted by a trial jury on January 25, 2019, of being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) (Case No. 18-80029-Cr-Marra).  The trial jury acquitted Senatus of assaulting three federal officers with a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1) and (b), and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the assaults, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and (ii).  Senatus was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra to 108 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of ammunition.

According to the court record, including facts contained in the indictment, filings in the case, and evidence presented at trial, on July 25, 2017, Senatus was arrested outside his Delray Beach residence on an arrest warrant for second degree murder in a Broward County case.  The arrest was made by BSO detectives assigned to the SWAT/Fugitive Unit, each of whom had been sworn in as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal, and was working as a Task Force Officer with the Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service.  When advised he was under arrest and ordered to get on the ground, Senatus said, “Hell no,” and fled toward the front door of his residence.  The detectives tackled Senatus, who then pulled out a loaded handgun from a holster inside his waistband.  The handgun fell from his hand as Senatus was wrestled to the ground.     

Senatus could not be charged with the federal offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm because the handgun had been manufactured in Florida and had not traveled in interstate or foreign commerce.  The ammunition inside the handgun, however, had been manufactured outside the state of Florida, so Senatus was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition.          

This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.          

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and BSO in this matter.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Shockley.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.