Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Ernest Lee Thomas II, 35, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced on Apr. 9 to 37 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Heekin said: “With yet another successful prosecution under the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, we are fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump that we will stop at nothing to keep our citizens safe and dangerous, armed felons like this defendant locked away in prison. Sheriff Chip Simmons and his deputies continue to set the standard for investigative excellence in law enforcement, and my office will back up their hard work with aggressive prosecutions to keep our community safe.”
According to court documents, on May 31, 2025, deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle occupied by Thomas. During the stop, officers found a loaded .45-caliber Taurus handgun with one round in the chamber and five rounds in the magazine inside the vehicle. Thomas admitted that he owned the firearm. He had previously been convicted in federal court for distribution of cocaine and possession of stolen firearms.
The case was investigated by both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson prosecuted this case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aiming to address illegal immigration issues as well as criminal organizations and violent crime across communities.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one among 94 offices serving as principal litigators under direction from the Attorney General.
