CONVICTED FELON PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION OF FIREARMS

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jerney Jabara Purifoy, 33, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This is truly outstanding work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to remove this violent felon from our streets. My office will continue to aggressively pursue such criminals and secure successful prosecutions to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the violent criminals who have victimized our communities for far too long.”

Court documents reflect that deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Pensacola, Florida. In the defendant’s bedroom, deputies located a loaded 9-millimeter handgun. In another room, deputies located a loaded .22 caliber AR15-style rifle. The defendant has prior felony convictions for aggravated battery and fleeing or eluding law enforcement. The defendant also has a pending case in Escambia County state court related to animal cruelty, animal fighting, and confinement of animals without sufficient food or water.

Purifoy faces up to fifteen years imprisonment.  

The case involved a joint investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 12, 2026, at 1:00pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.