Omarion Laparis Rashad, 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court on Jul. 28 to illegal possession of a machinegun. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “The Homeland Security Task Force is investing in the safety of our neighborhoods with its whole-of-government approach to rooting out the criminal influence of cartels, trafficking organizations, and foreign gangs in our streets, and with this successful prosecution we are seeing those results. I applaud the excellent investigative work by the Tallahassee Police Department, in close collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, and I look forward to many more successful prosecutions as we continue the fight to make our communities safe for the citizens of the Northern District of Florida.”
According to court documents, officers from the Tallahassee Police Department executed a search warrant at Rashad’s residence on November 25, 2025. They found marijuana, synthetic cathinone, ammunition, a Glock .40 caliber pistol converted into a machinegun, and an additional machinegun conversion device inside a commercial marijuana bag.
Rashad faces up to 10 years in prison, up to three years supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by both the Tallahassee Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. Sentencing is scheduled for October 1 at 2:00 pm before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established under Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF coordinates multiple agencies using interagency collaboration against criminal cartels and transnational organizations involved in violent crime or human trafficking within U.S. borders.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida covers 23 counties including Tallahassee and operates from facilities located within courthouses across northern Florida as part of its role within the United States Department of Justice; it enforces federal laws while collaborating with law enforcement through initiatives such as Project Safe Childhood, according to the official website.