TALLAHASSEE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT TO A FEDERAL AGENCY

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Norman John Horner, II, 43, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty to false statement to a federal agency. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Court documents reflect that on July 13, 2024, a United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Officer requested the defendant’s name and date of birth for purposes of issuing him a citation. The defendant provided the officer another individual’s identity. A citation was issued based on the information given. On September 6, 2024, the defendant’s false statement was revealed when the individual whose identity was used appeared in court in response to the citation. After further investigation, law enforcement confirmed the defendant had falsely identified himself to the officer.

Horner is scheduled for sentencing before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor on January 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in Tallahassee, Florida.  Horner faces a term of up to five years’ imprisonment.

The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo is prosecuting the case.

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.