Northern District of Florida

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Justin J. Wright, 35, of Bay Shore, New York, has been indicted in federal court on charges of cyberstalking, attempted interstate extortion of a public official, and the use of fire to commit a federal felony offense. The charges stem from his alleged criminal acts leading up to June 1, 2024, in Pensacola. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.

Wright is scheduled for his initial appearance and arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, on September 10, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.

If convicted, Wright faces a mandatory minimum ten years’ imprisonment on the charges in the Indictment.  

The case is being jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pensacola Police Department, and the State of Florida, Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosive Investigations.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. 

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Charles Carson-Dowdy, 30, of Mobile, Alabama, has been indicted in federal court on charges of cyberstalking, interstate domestic violence, murder through use of a firearm, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in relation to the death of Starmichael L. Tucker in Pensacola, Florida, earlier this year. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.

Carson Dowdy is scheduled for his initial appearance and arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, on August 28, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

If convicted, Carson Dowdy faces up to life imprisonment on the charges in the Indictment.  

The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the State Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Michael Stephen Johnson, 58, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.

Johnson is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, on August 28, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.

If convicted, Johnson faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison up to life imprisonment.  

The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Joshua Dean Hardy, 26, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for two counts of unlawful possession of firearm under the National Firearms Act (NFA), namely two unregistered and unserialized silencers and a destructive device, and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.

Hardy is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, on August 28, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.

If convicted as charged, Hardy faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment as it relates to each of the NFA violations, and another five years for his possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – John Cody Hawthorne, 32, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of firearms and ammunition by convicted felon, possession of a short-barreled rifle, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent work of Sheriff Chip Simmons and our federal law enforcement partners to make our community safer by getting this dangerous individual off the streets.  My office remains fully committed to fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by targeting violent criminals with the full force of the law.”

Court documents reflect that Hawthorne, who was on state probation at the time, was in possession of multiple firearms as well as illegal narcotics.  Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hawthorne’s residence and located seven firearms in his bedroom, one of which was a short-barreled rifle, as well as over 400 live rounds of ammunition, marijuana, methamphetamine, ballistic body armor, and several thousand dollars.

Hawthorne faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment on the possession of firearm by convicted felon count, up to ten years imprisonment on the possession of short-barreled rifle count, and up to twenty years imprisonment on the drug possession charge.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 13, 2025, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – On Monday, August 18, 2025, Shantel Marie Powell, 37, of Crestview, was found guilty by a federal jury of making a false statement to a federal agent. Her husband and codefendant, Kevin Lamonte Powell Jr., 40, had earlier pleaded guilty as charged to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The verdict and guilty plea were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is committed to fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from violent felons and drug traffickers, and this case is yet another victory toward achieving that goal.  Keeping our communities safe is our top priority, and we will not hesitate to aggressively prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the armed criminals flooding our streets with dangerous drugs and their accomplices. I am deeply appreciative of the tireless efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners that led to this successful prosecution.”

Evidence admitted at Shantel Powell’s trial and court documents established that on January 31, 2025, following federal search warrants executed simultaneously at an outbuilding in Crestview where Kevin Powell regularly stored and distributed drugs and the Powells’ home in Pensacola, law enforcement seized fentanyl, evidence that Kevin Powell was packaging and preparing drugs for sale, including two large kilogram presses, a total of five firearms, and various amounts of ammunition. One of the firearms was a privately made firearm with no manufacturer markings or serial number, often referred to as a “ghost gun.” While the search warrant was being executed, Shantel Powell willfully lied to a federal task force officer by falsely claiming that she had purchased the privately made firearm at a particular gun store in Crestview.

Sentencing for Kevin Powell is scheduled for November 13, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Shantel Powell will be sentenced on November 18, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. The defendants will be sentenced at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Kevin Powell faces a maximum term of 45 years’ imprisonment, and Shantel Powell faces a maximum term of 5 years’ imprisonment.

The convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Crestview Police Department, and the Niceville Police Department, with assistance from the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Malik Ray, 28, of Tallahassee, Florida pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case is another outstanding example of state and federal law enforcement partnering to protect the citizens of North Florida. My office is committed safeguarding our communities against the predations of violent felons by keeping those offenders off our streets.”

Court documents reflect that on October 22, 2024, officers with Florida Probation and Parole and the Tallahassee Police Department conducted a search of Ray’s residence pursuant to the terms of his Florida probation. During the search, officers found an AR-style pistol, over five pounds of marijuana, and other evidence of drug dealing. A subsequent investigation revealed that Ray had been distributing marijuana since at least March 2024.

Ray faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release when he is sentenced.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with assistance from the Florida Department of Corrections, Office of Community Corrections, Circuit Two. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Zackery Chase Brunson, 33, of Shalimar, Florida, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the substantial efforts of our state and federal law enforcement partners to make our community safer by getting this dangerous repeat offender off the streets. This is yet another important case by my office fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by aggressively pursuing criminal offenders to keep our communities safe.”

In January 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Brunson’s residence in Shalimar, Florida. During the search, law enforcement found two rifles, a shotgun, and three pistols, and multiple types of ammunition. Brunson is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance.

Brunson faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Okaloosa County Sherriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 13, 2025, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Louis Terrell Jones, 42, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a machinegun. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our brave law enforcement officers are increasingly encountering and seizing firearms that have been illegally modified to fire as fully automatic machineguns. My office remains fully committed to fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by targeting these violent criminals with the full force of the law.”

In November 2024, a deputy with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office initiated a routine traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Jones. During the stop, the vehicle was searched and the deputy found a Glock 9 millimeter pistol with a machinegun conversion device attached to it. Jones is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including attempted burglary, possession of a weapon on school property, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and aggravated assault by threat with a firearm.

Jones faces up to twenty-five years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2025, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Justin Stephen Lombard, 22, of West Palm Beach, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a machinegun. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.

Lombard appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on August 8, 2025, for his arraignment at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. Trial is scheduled for September 22, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. before United States District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.

Lombard faces a maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tallahassee Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Nicholas Wayne Finley, 27, of Havana, FL, and Jason Dean Atkinson, 42, of Havana, FL, were indicted by a federal grand jury. Finley was charged with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Atkinson was also charged with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.

Both Finley and Atkinson appeared in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on August 11, 2025, for their arraignment in Tallahassee, Florida. Trial is scheduled for October 20, 2025, at 8:15 a.m. in Tallahassee, Florida before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.

If convicted, each man faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment per count.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – ServisMed, LLC, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to engaging in a conspiracy to violate the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”). John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the guilty plea and sentence.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This company broke the law by exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to enrich itself through the deceptive distribution of a chemical agent that had not been registered or approved for use on humans.  This conviction and sentence holds this company accountable for its corporate criminal conduct, and should serve as a deterrent against future criminal schemes that endanger our community.”

Court documents reveal that ServisMed, LLC, which was located on South Palafox Street in Pensacola, was a distribution company licensed to market and sell products that included disinfectant pesticides. During the COVID-19 pandemic, between March and December 2020, ServisMed, LLC, conspired with others to distribute a pesticide product – in this instance purporting to fight COVID-19 – without it being registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as required.  This included ServisMed, LLC, distributing such product to a local law enforcement agency as well as attempting to export the product to the foreign countries of Jordan and Saudi Arabia.  Registration and proper labeling of pesticide products to be used on humans are intended, in part, to protect citizens of the United States against potential harms in using such pesticides and against potential danger when such pesticides are traveling on American soil during the distribution process for foreign export. Law enforcement was able to stop foreign exports by ServisMed, LLC, and others valued at over $250,000.

Pursuant to the guilty plea, ServisMed, LLC, will pay restitution to the local law enforcement agency in the amount of $13,330; pay a $40,000 fine; forfeit the foreign export products valued at over $250,000; and dissolve as a company.

“The defendant in this case sold unregistered pesticides in the midst of a global pandemic and sought to profit from people’s fears of contracting the coronavirus,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Martel of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. “The sentencing demonstrates that corporations will be held criminally responsible for placing the public at risk by failing to ensure the integrity and safety of their products.”

The case was jointly investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Justin M. Keen.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ulysses Robinson, Jr., 41, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of interference with commerce by threat or violence, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Another violent felon has been taken off the streets of Pensacola thanks to the outstanding investigative work of our local partners working in conjunction with federal law enforcement.  This is yet another successful prosecution under the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, which is fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to protect our communities from the violent criminals terrorizing our streets.”

Court documents reveal that on December 16, 2024, Robinson and his partner, Ladarryl Paige – who previously pleaded guilty to these offenses – entered a business on North Davis Highway and held multiple individuals at gunpoint. Robinson and Paige then robbed these individuals of approximately $10,000 in United States currency as well as the marijuana that was present on scene. During the armed robbery, Robinson forced the victims to comply with orders at gunpoint and discharged his firearm. Law enforcement was able to identify both Robinson and Paige through video surveillance and forensically derived electronic evidence. Robinson is a previously convicted felon.   

Robinson faces up to life imprisonment upon sentencing, which is scheduled for November 13, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.  

The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pensacola Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Alaisjah Dayshawn Perkins, 22, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for one count of unlawful transfer and possession of a machine gun and one count of receipt, possession, transfer and production of a firearm which is not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFR&TR) and unserialized. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.

Perkins appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon on August 12, 2025, for his arraignment at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for October 6, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.

Perkins faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment for each count.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Justin William Gifford, 26, of Enterprise, Alabama, has been indicted in federal court on one count of attempted enticement of a minor, one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to minors, and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.

Gifford is scheduled for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on August 19, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. in Tallahassee, Florida.

If convicted as charged, Gifford faces up to life imprisonment.           

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Panama City Beach Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K Mountin.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Erik Gammons, 42, of Marianna, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday, August 8, 2025, to Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing Methamphetamine and 500 Grams or More of Cocaine. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Methamphetamine addiction destroys lives and ravages communities throughout North Florida, but this trafficker’s days of distributing this poison are over. My office is committed to fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by aggressively pursuing and prosecuting drug traffickers, and I deeply appreciate the outstanding work of our federal and state law enforcement partners to keep deadly drugs off our streets.”

Court documents reflect that on May 5, 2025, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Marianna, Florida. Gammons was an occupant of the vehicle. Law enforcement located approximately 1,798 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 568 grams of cocaine in the vehicle, as well as other items indicative of Gammons’ intent to distribute the narcotics.

Gammons faces up to life imprisonment, and a lifetime term of supervision upon release.  

The case involved a joint investigation by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica S. Etherton and Eric W. Welch.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 23, 2025, at 3:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark Walker. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kashone Demetrious Bing, 20, of Bronson, Florida, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “I deeply appreciate the great work of our state and federal law enforcement partners in this case, and my office remains committed to prosecuting violent felons like this defendant to keep our communities safe.”

Court documents reflect that Bing had a loaded firearm in his lap when law enforcement went to execute an arrest warrant at his residence. Bing is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of two felonies, including aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement.

Bing faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  

The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2025, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Austin Keith Hibbert, 25, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to entice or persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempting to travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, and transferring obscene material to a person less than 16 years of age. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am incredibly grateful for the tireless efforts of our international and domestic law enforcement partners to investigate and intervene in cases like this, particularly because predators like this defendant are relentless in committing these disgusting crimes.  This case represented one of parents’ worst nightmares – the targeting, grooming, and attempted exploitation of their child – but thankfully that nightmare did not become a reality for this family.  My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting offenders like this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”

Court documents reflect that between May 2023, and August 2024, Hibbert communicated almost daily through multiple social media platforms with a 13-year-old child from Estonia, a country in Northern Europe. Hibbert met the child through a popular Internet game. The communications between Hibbert and the child quickly became sexual in nature. Hibbert told the child that he intended to travel to Estonia to meet and to engage in sexual activity. Additionally, Hibbert sent the child more than twelve explicit videos. In August 2024, law enforcement officials learned that Hibbert had applied for a U.S. passport and had booked an international flight from Tallahassee to Estonia. On August 12, 2024, law enforcement officials intercepted Hibbert as he attempted to board his flight at the Tallahassee International Airport. A search of Hibbert’s person and carry-on bags revealed items indicative of his intent to travel to meet with the child, including his U.S. passport, a bracelet, and a box of condoms. A later search of Hibbert’s electronic devices confirmed Hibbert’s communications with the child, his travel plans, and showed that he reserved lodging near where the child lived.

Hibbert faces a minimum mandatory of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by five years to life of supervision upon release.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tallahassee Police Department, with assistance from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 27, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Pedro Cesar Ramos-Cruz, 33, of the country of Cuba, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for Conspiracy to Bring Aliens into the United States, Illegal Reentry by a Removed Alien, and Possession of a Firearm by an Alien. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “This case is another shining example of the great success of the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America and fulfills the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to stop the flow of illegal immigration into our country. This criminal alien not only repeatedly illegally entered our country, but he also endangered our communities by smuggling other illegal aliens into and throughout the United States, while in possession of stolen firearms. My office will aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe.”

Court records reflect that Ramos-Cruz was encountered by Florida Highway Patrol Troopers and found in possession of an alien smuggling ledger, 20 foreign passports, $13,709 in currency, narcotics, and stolen firearms. Homeland Security Investigations quickly determined that Ramos-Cruz, an alien in the United States and a citizen of Cuba, had been previously deported from the United States in 2019 and in 2020. Further investigation demonstrated that Ramos-Cruz was working with the Gulf Cartel and was actively smuggling aliens from Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Columbia into the United States.

“This criminal illegal alien repeatedly violated our nations laws, possessed stolen firearms, narcotics, and smuggled people in and throughout the United States like a commodity, with no regard for their safety or wellbeing,” said Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI Tallahassee, and our federal, state and local partners, will use every tool at our disposal to stop this kind of criminal conduct and keep our communities safe.”

“What started as a simple traffic stop ended with the takedown of a Gulf Cartel-linked human smuggler who had been moving people across the southern border during the Biden administration and into Florida,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. “We don’t just make arrests—FDLE picks up the rock and looks at what’s crawling underneath. We run the long, protracted, multi-jurisdictional cases that follow the trail across state lines, across borders, and straight to the people fueling these criminal networks. I’m proud of our agents’ relentless work on this case and their commitment to keeping Florida safe.”

An ICE detainer has been lodged against Ramos-Cruz, and he will begin deportation proceedings after he serves his federal prison term.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Highway Patrol. Former Assistant United States Attorney Corey J. Smith and Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Lagarius Joseph Johnson, 21, was sentenced to 35 years and 3 months’ imprisonment in federal court for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances, and possession of a machinegun, and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will do everything in our power to stop those who pose a danger to our communities.  Keeping a dangerous offender like this one off our streets is yet another step in fulfilling that promise. I am proud of the work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe.”

Evidence at trial demonstrated that law enforcement conducted surveillance of the Majestic Oaks apartments due to reports that Johnson and others were in possession of firearms, including a machinegun. Johnson was prohibited under state law from possessing a firearm due to his prior criminal history. Officers identified Johnson and tried to approach him, but Johnson spun around and pointed with his hand inside his jacket pocket, making officers believe he was armed with a pistol. As officers identified themselves as police, Johnson ran. Officers were able to apprehend Johnson with a police canine. As Johnson fled, he threw a cellphone, backpack, and pistol. Officers discovered a distribution-quantity of marijuana, empty baggies, and a digital scale, in Johnson’s backpack. Examination of the discarded pistol revealed a machinegun conversion device, rendering the pistol fully automatic. Officers obtained search warrants and reviewed material from Johnson’s cellphone, as well as his social media accounts, and found dozens of pictures of Johnson posing with guns, large amounts of cash, and advertising marijuana for sale, including on the day of his arrest.

“The combination of illegal narcotics and illegally possessed firearms, especially a machine gun, presents an extreme threat to public safety,” said Police Chief Nelson Moya, Gainesville Police Department. “I commend our officers and federal partners for their dedicated work in bringing this case to justice. We will continue to stand firm against those who choose to endanger lives through criminal activity.”

“Drug trafficking is a dangerous endeavor and leads to increased violence in our communities,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter, Miami Field Division. “Law enforcement agencies in Florida continue to work together to get these armed and dangerous criminals off our streets and behind bars.”

“This sentence sends a clear message: if you bring violence, drugs and illegal guns into Florida, you will be met with the full force of local, state and federal law enforcement,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner Mark Glass. “Working side-by-side with our partners, FDLE will continue to track down dangerous offenders and dismantle the criminal networks that put our communities at risk.”

“This is an incredible public safety win for residents of North Central Florida,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “We’re proud to have leveraged our expertise to help our local, state and federal partners bring this dangerous suspect to justice.”

Johnson received a sentence of 35 years and 3 months in prison, which will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Johnson was also ordered for forfeit the firearm and conversion device seized.

Johnson also faces unrelated charges of attempted first degree murder involving a machinegun in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in and for Alachua County where he has entered a plea of not guilty and is presumed innocent.

This conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Eric Welch prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Willie Curtis Slack, Jr., 49, of Milton, Florida has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.

Slack is scheduled to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon on August 13, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. for his arraignment at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida.

If convicted, he faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years’ imprisonment under the Armed Career Criminal Act.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Marlow Level Allen, 46, of Panama City, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury for one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana; and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.

Allen is scheduled for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on August 14, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. in Tallahassee, Florida.

If convicted on the drug count, Allen faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment. If convicted on the firearm count, Allen faces a minimum mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Willie Frank Hicks, Jr., 42, of Madison, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for one count of distribution of methamphetamine. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.

Hicks, Jr. is scheduled for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on August 12, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. in Tallahassee, Florida.

If convicted, Smith faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment with a maximum of life imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Elpidio Abelardo Perez-Perez, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal reentry by a removed alien. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws and removing violent illegal aliens from our communities has been a top priority defined by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenses to deter future violations of our national immigration laws and to keep our communities safe from violent illegal aliens.”

Court documents reflect that Perez-Perez was first encountered by immigration officials following his arrest for aggravated assault with a weapon and discharging a firearm in Escambia County, Florida. Perez-Perez was determined to be in the United States illegally and was removed to Mexico in August 2010. He was removed and deported again in June 2012 and January 2013. He was most recently found in the country on February 17, 2025.

Perez-Perez faces up to two years in prison followed by removal from the United States.

The case involved an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2025, at 1:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Seth Dewayne Talbot, 45, of Laurel Hill, Florida was sentenced by District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II to 180 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I commend our state and federal law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in investigating and arresting this armed drug trafficker. Methamphetamine is a deadly drug that is plaguing our communities, and my office will continue to support the excellent work of our law enforcement partners by aggressively prosecuting the criminals who flood our streets with these dangerous drugs.”

According to court records, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Talbot after receiving information in October of 2024 that he was selling illegal narcotics. In November of 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Talbot’s residence, and investigators located over 180 grams of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms, a box of ammunition, and United States currency in Talbot’s bedroom. Talbot has multiple prior felony convictions.

“Methamphetamine is a highly addictive and insidious poison that destroys communities.  Mr. Talbot’s drug trafficking activities demonstrated a clear disregard for our north Florida communities by putting countless lives in danger while possessing firearms that he was clearly prohibited from possessing,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “The men and women of the DEA will continue to work tirelessly with our local and state law enforcement partners to ensure those, like Mr. Talbot, who put the safety of our communities at risk are held accountable for their actions.”

“We are proud of our ongoing successful partnerships to target drug traffickers and remove them from our county. Whether they’re operating in populated areas or rural communities, our combined efforts and persistence continue to pay off,” said Sheriff Eric Aden, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Calvin D. Thomas, Jr., 30, and Satori Ashanti Keys, 45, both of Pensacola, were indicted by a federal grand jury this week. Each man was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, more than 500 grams of cocaine, and marijuana; one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, more than 500 grams of cocaine, and marijuana; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.

Thomas is scheduled for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Hope Thai Cannon on August 12, 2025, at 11:00am in Pensacola, Florida.

Keys is scheduled for his initial appearance and arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon on August 12, 2025, at 11:00am in Pensacola, Florida.

If convicted, as charged, they face up to life imprisonment.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Luis Miguel Hernandez-Flores, 37, of the country of El Salvador, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.

Hernandez-Flores appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida for his arraignment.

If convicted, Hernandez-Flores faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment and deportation proceedings following a term of incarceration.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Gadsen County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Mauricio Morales-Gonzalez, 24, of Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to entice or persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the relentless efforts of our incredible law enforcement partners, another child predator is behind bars and the community is safer.  It is one of our most important duties to protect the most vulnerable members of our community from the predations of these sick individuals, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who seek to sexually exploit our children.”

Court documents reflect that between April 10, 2025, and April 12, 2025, detectives of the Tallahassee Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, participated in a joint undercover operation in Leon County focused on identifying individuals using the Internet to exploit children in a sexual manner. During the operation, investigators identified Morales-Gonzalez, an adult male who was soliciting minors for sex through an online website. Morales-Gonzalez believed he was going to be engaging in sexual activity with a minor when he drove to a meeting location where he was met by law enforcement and immediately arrested.

Morales-Gonzalez faces a minimum mandatory of 10 years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment, followed by five years to life of supervision upon release.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Tallahassee Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 27, 2025, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case is also part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – John Caleb Allen, 26, of Bristol, Florida, who was previously arrested on July 24, 2025, has been indicted for two counts of attempted murder of a federal employee, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a federal law enforcement officer, two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of illegal possession of a machine gun, and one count of false statement to a federal firearm licensee in connection with a firearms purchase. The charges were announced today by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Court documents allege that, on July 24, 2025, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, with the assistance of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, were executing a federal search warrant at the subject’s residence when Allen opened fire on law enforcement. After firing multiple rounds at the agents, Allen was arrested without the agents discharging their weapons. Agents suffered minor, non-critical injuries as a result of the assault.

Allen is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick August 8, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at the Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida.

If convicted, Allen faces a maximum possible penalty of life imprisonment.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Austin Marko Coates, 27, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “One of our greatest responsibilities is the protection of our children, and I am proud of the excellent work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to help bring this disgusting individual to justice.  This substantial sentence demonstrates our unwavering commitment to keeping the most vulnerable members of our community safe, and should serve as a warning to others who would attempt to harm them. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these horrific crimes and will seek maximum punishments for those who engage in such heinous conduct.”

According to court records, in January 2025 the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office received a Cybertip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alleging that Coates had been communicating with a minor through a social media platform regarding sexually explicit topics. Agents with HSI obtained federal search warrants for Coates’ social media account and Tallahassee residence. The searches resulted in investigators finding evidence of Coates sending child pornography to minors, some who were as young as 13 years of age, and requesting they produce their own sexually explicit content to send to him. Investigators also seized multiple electronic devices which contained hundreds of child pornography videos and images, some depicting young children and toddlers.

“This predator weaponized social media to target, entice, and manipulate vulnerable children to produce sexually explicit material to add to his collection of vile content,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “The hundreds of images and videos in his possession represent countless children, some as young as toddlers, whose pain was preserved and traded like currency. Crimes like these are a brutal reminder of why HSI and our partners fight every day to protect children and bring their offenders to justice.”   

Coates’s sentence of imprisonment will be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release and a requirement to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Coates was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims.

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by HSI and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ralphael Roy Caldwell, 35, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after previously being found guilty by a jury of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon back in April. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from violent criminals requires close collaboration between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, like we saw in this case.  I am very appreciative of the outstanding work of the Pensacola Police Department and the ATF to get this criminal off our streets, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to keep our communities safe from violent criminals.”

Evidence admitted at trial established that during a traffic stop on September 10, 2024, the defendant had a loaded pistol in his waistband that he admitted to officers was his. He had previously been convicted of the felony offenses of principal to attempted home invasion robbery with a firearm and shooting into a building.

The sentence was the result of a joint investigation by the Pensacola Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Julius Maurice Dean, 46, of Pensacola Florida, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent work of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF, this violent felon has been removed from our streets.  My office remains fully committed to keeping our community safe by aggressively prosecuting these criminals and ensuring they are held accountable for breaking the law.”

According to court records, Dean provided a false name to law enforcement and fled from an officer on foot.  After being apprehended, law enforcement located a loaded, stolen firearm on Dean’s person as well as illegal narcotics. Dean has prior felony convictions for bank robbery, possession of a controlled substance, driving while driver’s license revoked as a habitual traffic offender, and grand theft of a firearm.

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Etherton.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Angela Michelle Tanner, 55, of Tavares, Florida, was sentenced to 76 months’ imprisonment in federal court for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, and 500 grams or more of a Mixture Containing Methamphetamine, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the drug traffickers who are flooding our streets with deadly, addictive drugs is being fulfilled thanks to the excellent collaborative efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, like we saw in this case. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers to keep our communities safe and healthy.”

Court documents reflect that Tanner orchestrated the shipment of fentanyl and multiple pounds of methamphetamine from Arizona to individuals in Florida to whom she was introduced via an inmate in the Florida Department of Corrections. Tanner used money exchange applications to receive and promote drug trafficking.  In 2023, Tanner was arrested on outstanding warrants from Citrus County, Florida.

In dismantling this conspiracy, Chason Johnson, 32, of Tallahassee, Florida, was separately charged and sentenced to 156 months in federal prison for receiving packages of methamphetamine from Tanner and possession of a firearm following his release from the Florida Department of Corrections.

“This case is a great example of law enforcement working together—seven agencies in total—to bring a transnational drug trafficker to justice,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Methamphetamine can tear apart families and communities, and we won’t stop until these criminals are brought to justice.”

“The successful outcome of this investigation is a reflection of the hard work and dedicated service demonstrated by the entire law enforcement community,” said Bladismir Rojo, Acting Inspector In Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to make every effort to remove illicit drugs and dangerous contraband from our communities.”   

The case involved an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Tallahassee Police Department, the Florida Department of Corrections, the United States Marshal Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Mesa Police Department in Mesa, Arizona. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE & PENSACOLA – United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced today that 22 previously deported aliens were recently convicted for illegal reentry into the United States.

According to court records, the defendants had each been previously removed due to being unlawfully present in the country, and illegally reentered without seeking the necessary permission or approval from the United States.

• Oscar Alva-Cabrera, a Mexican national, was previously removed in May 2024.  He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on May 20, 2025.
• Fredy Bravo Galvez, a Mexican national, was previously removed in March 2013 and March 2020.  He was encountered in Tallahassee on June 14, 2025.
• Ofelia Caal-Chub, a Guatemalan national, was previously removed in December 2021.  She was encountered in Madison County on June 2, 2025.
• Jose Choc, a Guatemalan national, was previously removed in January 2018.  He was encountered in Leon County on May 17, 2025.
• Luis Funez-Gomez, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed in September 2008.  He was encountered in Tallahassee on May 29, 2025.
• Juan Gomez Perez, a Mexican national, was previously removed in September 2022.  He was encountered in Tallahassee on May 29, 2025.
• Roberto Gonzales-Coto, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed in June 2004.  He was encountered in Pensacola on May 20, 2025.
• Olegario Guzman-Mayo, a Mexican national, was previously removed in June 2019, August 2019, May 2022, and October 2022.   He was encountered in Escambia County on May 2, 2025.
• Juan Carlos Hernandez Vallejos, a citizen of Nicaragua, was previously removed in 2006, twice in 2014, and again in 2015. He was encountered in Tallahassee on May 29, 2025.
• Jose Larios-Cortez, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed in November 2014.  He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on April 27, 2025.
• Juan Rodolfo Martinez-Hernandez, a Mexican national, was previously removed in 2017 and in 2022. He was encountered in Pace on April 11, 2025.
• Elin Martinez-Lemus, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed in June 2013 and December 2017.  He was encountered in Pensacola on February 22, 2025.
• Baltazar R. Mixteco-Temaxtle, a Mexican national, was previously removed in December 2011 and August 2012.  He was encountered in Pensacola on March 15, 2025.
• Jose Alfredo Morales-Huerta, a Mexican national, was previously removed in March 2019.  He was encountered in Escambia County on June 10, 2025.
• Jose Luis Morales-Huerta, a Mexican national, was previously removed in November 2018.  He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on May 26, 2025.
• Cevero Enrique Ordonez, a Guatemalan national, was previously removed in February 2014.  He was encountered in Pensacola on May 20, 2025.
• Wilmer Pelico Elias, a Guatemalan national, was previously removed in October 2018 and August 2023.  He was encountered in Pensacola on May 14, 2025.
• Herixson Rodriguez-Perez, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed in June 2014 and July 2019.  He was encountered in Pensacola on May 11, 2025.
• Cecilio Sic-Garcia, a Guatemalan national, was previously removed in October 2019 and February 2020.  He was encountered in Panama City Beach on May 6, 2025.
• Jose Villanueva, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed in January 2013 and December 2020.  He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on April 28, 2025.
• Juan Hurtado-Solano, a Mexican national, was previously removed in August 2012 and September 2012. He was encountered in Tallahassee on May 29, 2025.
• Candido Hurtado-Solano, a Mexican national, was previously removed in August 2012 and September 2012. He was encountered in Tallahassee on May 29, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “You will see a pattern in many of these cases: aliens who continue to return this country believing they will not face criminal consequences for violating our immigration laws. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have promised to Take Back America by making the enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws a top priority, and my office will aggressively pursue these cases to ensure that those who continue to illegally enter our country are prosecuted and swiftly removed.”

The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, with assistance from several state and local partners.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer H. Callahan, Brooke DiSalvo, Jessica Etherton, Alicia Forbes, Justin M. Keen, James McCain, Eric Mountin, Walter Narramore, Jeffrey Tharp, and Eric Welch prosecuted the cases.

The cases are part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Carlton Bruce Cooke, 40, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.  The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is committed to ensuring our community’s most violent offenders are confronted with the full force of the law.  This repeat felon not only unlawfully possessed a firearm, he used it to threaten others.  Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will do everything in our power to stop those who are endangering our communities.  I am proud of the work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe”

Court records reflect that during the early morning hours on July 10, 2024, the defendant observed his roommates sitting in a truck in their driveway talking.  The defendant exited the residence with a firearm in hand ordering everyone to leave.  He then fired a round into the ground near the vehicle.  Law enforcement conducted a search warrant on defendant’s vehicle.  The loaded handgun he had used and another loaded handgun with an extended magazine and ammunition were seized. The defendant has been previously convicted of multiple firearms offenses.

The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan prosecuted this case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Brandon Martez Black, 27, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 100 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

On June 8, 2024, Black, a felon with prior drug trafficking convictions, fled in a vehicle from the Florida Highway Patrol (“FHP”) after an attempted traffic stop. FHP was able to disable Black’s vehicle after performing a Precision Immobilization Technique.  Black fled on foot and threw a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol over a fence into a residential backyard, which was later recovered by law enforcement.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will do everything in our power to stop those who pose a danger to our communities, and keeping a repeat offender like this one off the streets is exactly what they meant. I am proud of the work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe.”

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol, Escambia County Sherriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jericho Rayne Skipper, 30, of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and ten years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography. Skipper will also be required to pay $66,000 in restitution to the victims. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “This case demonstrates the excellent work of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to identify those who prey upon the most vulnerable of members of our community—our young children. My office will aggressively prosecute anyone caught peddling child porn, and we will not rest until every child is safe from the predations of these sick individuals.”

According to court records, in July 2024, a team of law enforcement officers in the Panama City area determined that Skipper had been using social media and online chat applications to trade images of adults engaged in sexually explicit conduct with young children, infants, and toddlers. Following his arrest, Skipper confessed to collecting the illegal images.

“The abhorrent crime of trafficking imagery of the sexual abuse of children online is abhorrent at every level, and contributes to their repeated victimization,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI is committed to continue working side-by-side with our state and local partners to identify these predators, remove their online footprints, and get victims the help the so desperately need.”

“Keeping kids safe is a top priority, and it takes strong teamwork across agencies to make that happen,” said Sheriff Tommy Ford of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. “I’m proud of the partnership that helped bring this predator to justice.”

This conviction was the result of an investigation by the from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Panama City Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Matthew Pellerito, 49, of Wewahitchka, Florida, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and the carrying of a firearm without written notice. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “I applaud the excellent coordination of our state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies in their detection and investigation of these crimes.  My office is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who unlawfully possess weapons or ammunition.”

Court documents reflect that on September 5, 2024, Pellerito prepared to board a commercial flight in Panama City, Florida. Pellerito’s checked luggage was flagged by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Inside of Pellerito’s luggage, TSA found an undeclared firearm and a 50-round box of ammunition. Pellerito stated that he was traveling to Oregon for a camping trip and had forgotten to declare the firearm with the airline. Further investigation confirmed that Pellerito is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition by law.

Pellerito is scheduled for sentencing before United States District Judge Mark Walker on September 18, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in Tallahassee, Florida.  Pellerito faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment on the firearm and ammunition charge, and up to five years’ imprisonment on the carrying of firearm without written notice charge.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Transportation Security Administration, the Panama City Airport Police Department, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Sidney Marc Wilson, Jr., 47, of Niceville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on charges related to a multi-year scheme to defraud victims out of millions of dollars. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.

Wilson’s next court appearance is set for August 1, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon.

The Indictment charges Conspiracy to Commit Wire and Mail Fraud; Mail Fraud; Wire Fraud; Money Laundering; and Subscribing to Materially False Tax Returns.

If convicted, Wilson faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment on the fraud charges, up to ten years’ imprisonment on the money laundering charges, and up to three years’ imprisonment on the tax charges.  

The case is being jointly investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – James C. Mobley, 43, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to a total of 15 years in federal prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentence.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This sentence ensures that our community will be safer and sends a strong message that there are real and severe consequences for federal firearm offenses. Thanks to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, this armed felon has been called to account for his continued criminal conduct.”

On July 11, 2024, Gainesville Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop of Mobley. During a search of Mobley’s vehicle, officers located a loaded revolver and various narcotics. Mobley pleaded guilty the day his trial was set to commence on April 28, 2025. Mobley was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his numerous felony convictions for serious drug offenses.

“We have zero tolerance for gun crimes in our community. My message to those who choose to bring guns and drugs to our streets – we will find you, and we will work with all our criminal justice partners to hold you accountable. Our community deserves safety,” said Chief Nelson Moya, Gainesville Police Department.

Mobley’s imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release. This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Harley W. Ferguson and Adam Hapner prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Forefront Dermatology S.C. and Henghold Surgery Center LLC, have agreed to pay $847,394 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of falsely coded claims to Medicare for wound repair procedures.

Forefront owns and operates a dermatology practice in Florida doing business as Henghold Dermatology. Henghold Surgery Center is an ambulatory surgery center that closed in 2023, and is wholly owned by William B. Henghold, M.D. Both the practice and surgery center performed wound repair procedures following Mohs micrographic surgery, a method of skin cancer removal.

The United States alleged that Henghold Dermatology and Henghold Surgery Center caused the submission of false claims to Medicare by using inaccurate wound repair billing codes for which Medicare paid more money than it would have paid for the wound repairs that were actually performed — a practice known as “upcoding.” Specifically, Henghold Dermatology and Henghold Surgery Center falsely coded linear repairs as if they were flap repairs and falsely coded smaller flap repairs as if they were larger flap repairs.

“Improperly billing Medicare depletes valuable government resources that provide necessary medical care to millions of Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable health care providers who enrich themselves by defrauding federal health care programs.”

“This office will continue to aggressively root out fraud, waste, and abuse in our healthcare system by pursuing providers who submit false claims to Medicare,” said U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin for the Northern District of Florida. “We will hold those who attempt to defraud the federal government accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Schemes that cause Medicare to pay for costlier services than were actually performed waste taxpayer funding, threatening the integrity of this federal health care program,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working together with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to investigate allegations of improper billing schemes to protect taxpayer-funded health care programs and the people served by them.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Christopher Wolfe, M.D., a former Forefront employee. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.  The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Wolfe v. Henghold et al., No. 3:23-cv-21624 (N.D. Fla.). Dr. Wolfe will receive $152,531 in connection with the settlement.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, with assistance from HHS-OIG.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The matter was investigated by Trial Attorney Colin Shannon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Spaccarotella, Mary Ann Couch, and Marie Moyle for the Northern District of Florida.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – David Alan Miles, 31, of Perry, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent work of the state, local, and federal partners to make our community safer by getting this dangerous individual off the streets.  My office remains fully committed to aggressively prosecuting those who put others at risk, fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by targeting criminals with the full force of the law.”

Court documents reflect that Miles was arrested on February 7, 2025, after initially fleeing from police in a high-speed pursuit, eluding officers on foot, and then pretending to have been the victim of a carjacking. A canine team from Taylor Correctional Institution responded to help track the “carjacker,” leading officers to Miles’ mothers’ house. Miles eventually admitted to officers that he had fled from the traffic stop because he had a rifle in the vehicle with him and knew he was not allowed to possess firearms. Miles is a seven-time convicted felon, who had previously been to federal prison for possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun and sale of a firearm to a convicted felon.

Miles faces imprisonment for up to 15 years.

The case involved an investigation by the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Perry Police Department and the Florida Department of Corrections.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 2, 2025 at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Teodoro Rodriguez-Alvarez, 34, of the country of Mexico, has been charged in federal court with Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien. The charges were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Court documents allege that, on July 15, 2025, Gulf Breeze Police Department responded to the Pensacola Bay Bridge in reference to a pickup truck stopped in the emergency lane with an unconscious male in the driver’s seat. The driver was identified as Teodoro Rodriguez-Alvarez and was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and illegal possession of a firearm.

The case involved an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Gulf Breeze Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Eric Shirone Thompson, 47, of Gainesville, Florida was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is dedicated to making our community the safest place to live and raise children. Today’s sentence is another achievement in furtherance of that objective. But we will not stop here. We will continue to aggressively prosecute armed drug traffickers like Mr. Thompson who present a danger to the health and safety of our community until all drug trafficking organizations in our community are dismantled and eliminated.”

According to court documents, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Thompson’s residence, where they found Thompson attempting to flush fentanyl down a toilet. During a search of the residence, law enforcement also located two loaded firearms and drug paraphernalia consistent with drug dealing, including baggies and cooking utensils with cocaine residue. Additional investigation revealed that Thompson conspired with other individuals to possess and distribute cocaine, marijuana, and “molly” in the Northern District of Florida.

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Gainesville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

“This joint investigation involving state and federal law enforcement agencies shows how integral partnerships are in the fight against drug traffickers,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “We each bring specific skills to the investigation, and this leads to more success. These communities will benefit greatly from this drug trafficker being off the streets.”

“This case and subsequent federal prosecution sends a clear message: we will not tolerate drug trafficking in our community. We remain committed to working with our federal partners to hold offenders accountable and protect the safety of our residents,” said Chief Moya of the Gainesville Police Department.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Isaih Malik Cox, a/k/a “Glizzy,” 27, of Gainesville, Florida was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking offense. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The defendant’s conviction and sentence is the result of excellent work by local and federal law enforcement and my office. In collaboration with our partners in and around the Northern District of Florida, we will continue to aggressively prosecute armed drug traffickers like the defendant who present a danger to the health and safety of our community until all drug trafficking organizations in our community are dismantled and eliminated.”

“We are committed to holding criminals accountable in close coordination with our federal partners. Our community will continue to stand strong against drug dealers who carry firearms and threaten the safety of our neighborhoods,” said Chief Nelson Moya, Gainesville Police Department.

According to court documents, while traveling in a vehicle in Gainesville, Florida, the defendant possessed a loaded pistol with an extended magazine and approximately 54 grams of a controlled substance commonly known as “molly,” which he intended to distribute. Prior to getting in the vehicle, the defendant was seen leaving an apartment where he had an AR-15 style pistol loaded with 32 rounds of ammunition.

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Gainesville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Danny Reams, Jr., 32, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced to 168 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to attempted enticement of a minor as well as receipt and distribution of child pornography. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: There is no greater charge than the protection of our children, and I am deeply appreciative of the excellent work of our state and federal law enforcement partners to target those who attempt to prey upon our kids.  This sentence is yet another example of the unwavering commitment of my office to protect our most vulnerable from the predations of sex offenders, and should serve as a warning to others who seek to target our children. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who engage in such heinous conduct.”

According to court records, the Defendant distributed an image of child pornography in June 2024 through a social media application. He then received child pornography in a second social media application in August 2024. Finally, in September 2024, the Defendant solicited sex from an undercover officer who was pretending to be a 14-year-old child.  The defendant was arrested upon his arrival at a predetermined meeting location.

“HSI is committed to working with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of children throughout North Florida,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “Sexual predators, like Reams, should know that HSI is unwavering in our dedication to finding you and holding you accountable.”

Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said: “We at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office are unwavering in our commitment to protect our children from those who seek to exploit them. I commend our investigators, along with our federal partners, for their relentless work in uncovering and stopping these repugnant crimes.”

This conviction was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – William Hernandez, 27, of Hawthorne, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possessing with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.

Hernandez is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida on July 29, 2025, at 2:15 p.m.

If convicted, Hernandez faces up to life imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gainesville Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Adam Hapner.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Jesse Roger Armstrong, 35, of Gainesville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.  John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.

Armstrong is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori Lowry at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida on July 29, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

If convicted, Armstrong faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Whitfield Leland III, 45, was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment in federal court today for Hobbs Act Robbery, Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and being an Armed Career Criminal in Possession of a Firearm. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this career criminal will no longer be able to victimize and terrorize our community.  My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting violent criminals to hold them accountable to the full extent of the law in order to keep our communities safe.”

Court documents reflect that Leland robbed a Tallahassee Dollar General at gunpoint on May 20, 2024. During the robbery, Leland pointed a pistol at the store manager and demanded that the manager open the safes. A customer observed the robbery in progress and called 911. Officers from the Tallahassee Police Department responded within minutes and surrounded the store while Leland was still inside. Leland then stole the manager’s Dollar General shirt and exited the store pretending to be an employee. Leland made it outside the store in his disguise but kept running when ordered to stop. Officers chased Leland and were able to follow a trail of dropped money to where he was hiding in nearby bushes, still wearing the Dollar General shirt and with additional money stuffed into his pants. Officers were able to recover $689 stolen during the robbery.

Leland is a 13-time convicted felon who qualified as an Armed Career Criminal because he had convictions for three violent felonies committed on separate occasions: two separate incidents of resisting a law enforcement officer with violence and one conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Leland was a 2022 candidate for Tallahassee mayor.

Leland received a sentence of 22 years in prison, which will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Leland was also ordered to pay restitution.

“The safety of our community is always our top priority,” said Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department. “Thanks to the quick actions of our officers and strong collaboration with our federal partners, a repeat violent offender is off the streets. This outcome reflects our continued commitment to protecting Tallahassee’s residents and businesses from harm.”

The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Calvin Eugene Williams, 35, of Panama City, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court today to two counts: possession with the distribute fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, this drug trafficker has been taken off our streets and he won’t be able to continue flooding our communities with this poison.  My office remains committed to fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by aggressively targeting the drug traffickers who have victimized our communities for far too long.”

Court documents reflect that Williams was arrested on April 19, 2024, by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office after being stopped with six-ounces of methamphetamine and approximately 95 pressed-pills containing fentanyl. Williams subsequently bonded out of jail and was stopped on March 11, 2025, by the Florida Highway Patrol on I-10. During the traffic stop, FHP troopers developed probable cause to search the vehicle and found a firearm and approximately 10 pounds (4450.1 grams) of 97% pure methamphetamine hydrochloride. Williams had two cellphones which contained evidence of his drug-trafficking.

Williams faces up to life imprisonment.

The case involved an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2025, at 9:30 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.