Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Eric Rashawn Washington, aged 40, has received a three-year prison sentence after pleading nolo contendere to the charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; he was initially taken into custody for allegedly snatching a woman’s purse and striking her with a gun.

An officer from the Gainesville Police Department arrived at the Circle K located at 1515 N. Main Street around 2 a.m. on September 18, 2023. The victim recounted that she had offered to buy Washington a fountain drink, but when he began adding additional items to the purchase, she decided to leave the store as she did not wish to buy everything. She stated that she sat on the curb outside the store, where Washington aggressively seized her purse and began rummaging through it. She attempted to reclaim her purse, leading him to brandish a handgun; she initially retreated but then attempted to retrieve her purse, which resulted in him hitting her with the gun. The woman said Washington reentered the store with her purse, prompting her to follow. Inside, he grabbed her and conducted a search of her clothing before they were separated.

By October 2023, a charge of firearm possession by a convicted felon was officially filed, while the initial charges of armed robbery and battery were dismissed.

On June 16, Washington entered a plea of nolo contendere to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a charge with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and Judge William Davis sentenced him to three years in prison with credit for 214 days served.