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Dad Gets 10 Years In Tot's Gun Death

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By THOMAS W. KRAUSE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 25, 2007

TAMPA - A man whose 2-year-old son shot himself to death after finding a gun between two couch cushions was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison Monday on federal firearms and marijuana charges.

Under a plea agreement, Timothy Addison, 38, cannot be charged with any other crime related to the incident, meaning the state cannot charge him with manslaughter in the death of his child.

About 10:30 a.m. Nov. 26, Tampa police were called to an accidental shooting on North 15th Street. When they arrived, Addison was cradling his 2-year-old son, Timberlan. The boy had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest at Addison's home. After the shooting, Addison had taken the child to a neighbor's house.

Police walked to Addison's house to recover the gun. Inside, they smelled marijuana. After obtaining a search warrant, police found more than 5 pounds of marijuana, $17,000 in cash, a digital scale, many packages of empty baggies, two handguns and several boxes of ammunition.

Addison was charged with possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Addison pleaded guilty to the charges to prevent prosecutors for asking for an enhancement on the gun charge, which could have put him in prison for life, said his attorney, Brian Gonzalez. He pleaded guilty in June.

At Monday's sentencing, about a dozen family members and friends came to the courtroom to show their support. Only Addison and his father, Dennis Addison, spoke.

Dennis Addison said the loss of a 2-year-old family member is a tragedy nearly impossible to overcome.

'We've been through something I wouldn't wish on anyone,' he said. 'I went to Vietnam and I've seen some misery. I came back here and saw something worse.'

Timothy Addison, speaking on his own behalf, told the judge that he was ready for whatever punishment would be meted out.

'I would like my family to know I'm sorry,' he said. 'I know I made some bad decisions.'

U.S. District Judge James Moody chose to sentence Addison to the bottom of the sentencing guidelines. Under the plea agreement, he could have sentenced Addison up to 20 years in prison.

'Mr. Addison, this was a tragic accident,' he said. 'But when you lead the type of lifestyle you chose to live ... bad things tend to happen and hurt others as well as yourself.'

Moody told Addison that he will have to make another lifestyle choice when he gets out of prison.

'No one can make that decision for you,' Moody said.

Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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