Curtis Lee Smith-Carter, a 28-year-old resident of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty on May 8 to 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: “Removing this serial felon from our streets achieves one of the key goals of Operation Take Back America, which devotes the full might of the Department of Justice toward protecting our communities from violent criminals. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute and seek maximum punishments for repeat offenders, like this defendant, to deliver the safe streets and neighborhoods the citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve!”
According to court documents, Smith-Carter attempted to flee police behind a Gainesville convenience store near an open fire shortly after midnight on November 8, 2025. During this incident he was found with a loaded .32 caliber pistol that he threw over a fence while fleeing. Smith-Carter has nine prior felony convictions including previous possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Smith-Carter faces up to fifteen years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 21 at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The case resulted from an investigation conducted jointly by the Gainesville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative aiming to address illegal immigration and combat violent crime through coordinated law enforcement efforts led by federal agencies such as those overseen by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District enforces federal laws and protects civil rights in northern Florida; it prosecutes criminal violations and handles civil litigation on behalf of the United States across twenty-three counties including Tallahassee and parts of the Panhandle region according to its official website.
