Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Julius Maurice Dean, a 46-year-old resident of Pensacola, Florida, has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentencing was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “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.”
Court records indicate that Dean provided a false name to law enforcement officers and attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended. Upon his arrest, officers found a loaded, stolen firearm and illegal narcotics in his possession. Dean's criminal history includes felony convictions for bank robbery, possession of a controlled substance, driving while license revoked as a habitual traffic offender, and grand theft of a firearm.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Etherton prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), an initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime. The operation coordinates resources from 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 serving as principal litigators under direction from the Attorney General. Additional information about public court documents can be found on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website or at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
