Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Jesse Jay Perez, a 28-year-old resident of Morgan Hill, California, has been sentenced to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “Keeping our community and streets safe requires pursuing criminals like this offender with the full force of the law. I appreciate the excellent work of our state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate this case, and my office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting these offenders.”
Court records show that on January 1, 2025, Perez was stopped by law enforcement in Gainesville, Florida, for riding a bicycle without a rear-facing red light as required by state law. During the stop, officers discovered Perez had an active felony arrest warrant from California. Upon arrest and search, authorities found 13 magazines, 380 rounds of ammunition, and parts needed to assemble a “ghost gun” semi-automatic rifle in his backpack. Perez’s prior felony conviction in California was related to the manufacture, distribution, sale or transport of an assault weapon.
The investigation involved cooperation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative led by the Department of Justice that aims to address illegal immigration issues, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices across the country serving as principal litigators under direction from the Attorney General. Additional information about court documents can be found at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. More details about the office are available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
