FEDERAL FELON PLEADS GUILTY TO FIREARM OFFENSE

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ernest Lee Thomas II, 35, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm 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: “The outstanding work by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, in close collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, led to this successful prosecution, which will ensure this dangerous offender is kept off our streets. The safety of our communities is non-negotiable, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute all violations of federal law to incapacitate criminal offenders who threaten our peace.”

Court documents reflect that on May 31, 2025, deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by the defendant. During the traffic stop, a search of the vehicle uncovered a loaded black .45-caliber Taurus handgun with a round in the chamber and five rounds in the magazine. While speaking with law enforcement, the defendant made statements indicating the firearm belonged to him. The defendant had previously been convicted in the Northern District of Florida of Distribution of Cocaine and Possession of Stolen Firearms.   

The defendant faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2026, at 9:00 am 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.