GAINESVILLE FELON CHARGED WITH DRUG AND FIREARM OFFENSES

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Christopher Eugene Thompson, 49, of Gainesville, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.

Thompson appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry on September 30, 2025, in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for February 11, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.

If convicted, Thompson faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment for the drug trafficking crime, up to 15 years for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and up to 10 years for possession of an unregistered NFA weapon.  Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a consecutive five-year term with a maximum of life imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

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 available 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.