Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Bill Ed Culpepper, Jr., a former deputy sheriff in Leon County, Florida, has admitted to unlawfully possessing an unregistered machinegun. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “When this defendant unlawfully possessed these firearms, he not only violated federal law, but also the public trust placed in him as a sworn law enforcement officer. No one is above the law, and my office will not hesitate to aggressively prosecute every violation of federal law that occurs in the Northern District of Florida.”
Authorities began investigating after a drug trafficking case involving Culpepper’s son led them to search Culpepper's home in Havana, Florida. During the search, officers found several unregistered machineguns and an unregistered rifle silencer.
Culpepper is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2026, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee. He could face up to ten years in prison.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Tallahassee Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Eric K Mountin is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a national effort by the Department of Justice aimed at countering illegal immigration and eliminating criminal organizations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is among 94 such offices across the country serving under the direction of the Attorney General. Public court documents can be accessed through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
