Joseph Leonard Rill was found guilty as charged with Possession of a Firearm or Ammunition
by a Convicted Felon, Driving While License or Driving Privilege Suspended, Revoked, or
Canceled 3rd or More, and Resisting an Officer without Violence. The jury came back with the
guilty verdict following a one-day trial in Lee County.
In June of this year, a Lee County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant observed the defendant driving on a
moped without a tag attached in North Fort Myers. The Sergeant turned on his emergency lights
to perform a traffic stop. Instead of stopping, the defendant embarked on a slow-speed chase
lasting a couple of blocks before he hit an embankment and lost control of the moped. After he
fell off, he ran from the scene but was quickly apprehended.
Once the defendant was detained, the Sergeant saw a .32 caliber revolver inside an unbuttoned
holster in an open pocket-console right below the handlebars of the scooter. It was loaded. Rill is
a convicted felon who is not legally allowed to own a gun. He was also driving on a revoked
driver’s license.
Rill has been designated as a Habitual Felony Offender. Sentencing is scheduled for January 6,
2020. Assistant State Attorney Joshua Fredrickson prosecuted the case.
Samantha Syoen
Communications Director
State Attorney’s Office
ssyoen@sao20.org
239-533-1125