Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Eric Rashawn Washington, 40, has been sentenced to three years in prison after entering a plea of nolo contendere to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; he was originally arrested for allegedly stealing a woman’s purse and hitting her in the face with a gun.

A Gainesville Police Department officer responded to the Circle K at 1515 N. Main Street at about 2 a.m. on September 18, 2023; the victim said she offered to buy Washington a fountain drink, but when he added more items to the purchase, she walked out of the store because she did not want to buy all the items. She said she sat down on the curb outside the store, and Washington forcefully took her purse and started looking through it. She said she pushed him to get her purse back, then he pulled out a handgun; she backed up but decided to try to get her purse back, and he hit her in the face with the gun. She said Washington went back into the store with her purse, so she followed him inside, where he grabbed her and patted her down before the two were separated.

In October 2023, a formal charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon was filed, and the other original charges of armed robbery and battery were dropped.

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.