Joseph Leonard Rill was sentenced today to 10 years in prison as a Habitual Felony Offender on one count each of 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 prison sentence will be followed by 5 years of probation and will include random drug screenings. He was found guilty as charged following a trial in Lee County in December.
In June of 2019, a Lee County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant observed the defendant driving 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 so is not legally allowed to own a gun. He was also driving on a revoked driver’s license.
Assistant State Attorney Erin Hughes handled the sentencing.
Samantha Syoen
Communications Director
State Attorney’s Office
ssyoen@sao20.org
239-533-1125