A 47-year-old Miami Gardens man made his first federal court appearance Friday after a grand jury in Miami indicted him on charges including drug trafficking, using and firing a gun during a drug crime, and possession of illegal firearms as a prior felon.
According to the indictment, Lester Leon Sanders allegedly shot multiple times at an Uber driver on October 29, 2024, after the driver noticed a firearm magazine fall from Sanders’s clothing while loading suitcases into the vehicle. The driver managed to escape with the luggage, alerting authorities in time.
“This defendant shot repeatedly at an innocent man who stopped a crime as it was happening,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva. “It was through the bravery of the Uber driver that police were alerted and able to stop the movement of almost a kilogram of pure cocaine from hitting the streets of Miami.”
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones noted the seriousness of the offense, highlighting the link between drug trafficking and gun violence. “Federal law treats that combination seriously, with a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years if convicted,” he said.
Police recovered 929 grams of nearly pure cocaine, six pounds of marijuana, a loaded large-capacity firearm magazine, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia including a scale and small plastic bags. Shell casings were also found near the location where Sanders allegedly fired at the Uber driver.
If convicted, Sanders faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, with a maximum penalty of life.
The case is under investigation by the FBI Miami Field Office, with assistance from the Miami Gardens Police Department. Prosecutors Jennifer Burns and Jinah Chang of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are handling the prosecution.
Officials said the case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative, which targets violent offenses in Miami, particularly those linked to gang activity, using federal resources to prevent violence and hold offenders accountable.
