Pensacola, Florida – Ernest Lee Thomas II, 35, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “With yet another successful prosecution under the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, we are fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J.
Trump that we will stop at nothing to keep our citizens safe and dangerous, armed felons like this defendant locked away in prison. Sheriff Chip Simmons and his deputies continue to set the standard for investigative excellence in law enforcement, and my office will back up their hard work with aggressive prosecutions to keep our community safe.”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 .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 case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson prosecuted this case.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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.