Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Antoine Booker, Jr., a 21-year-old from Pensacola, Florida, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for drug trafficking and possession of a machinegun. The sentencing was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The public should rest assured that law enforcement will not stand for armed drug traffickers endangering citizens in our streets. If you possess a machinegun to protect your drug trafficking operations, you should know that federal prison awaits you,” stated United States Attorney Heekin.
According to court documents, on December 6, 2023, Booker fled from the Florida Highway Patrol during an attempted traffic stop in Pensacola. After driving at high speeds and throwing drugs out of his vehicle, he crashed into a curb on Pensacola Boulevard and overturned his car. As law enforcement approached, Booker was found with a Glock 9 millimeter pistol modified into an automatic firing machinegun containing 32 rounds of ammunition.
“Had it not been for law enforcement’s training and determination, this armed suspect would have undoubtedly wreaked havoc in Northwest Florida,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “We are proud of the partnerships we’ve built with Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and our federal prosecutors.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Florida Highway Patrol; the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices under the direction of the Attorney General. Public court documents can be accessed online via the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.
