GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Samonta Leondre James, 26, has pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, John P. Heekin, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced.
“I applaud the excellent investigative work by the Gainesville Police Department to remove this dangerous felon from our streets,” U.S. Attorney Heekin said. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to make abundantly clear that the Northern District of Florida has zero tolerance for crime.”
Court records show that Gainesville police stopped a vehicle in which James was riding as a passenger. When officers asked whether he had any weapons, he acknowledged that he was carrying a firearm. A search uncovered a Glock 29 10-millimeter handgun loaded with seven rounds of ammunition. James has prior convictions for possession with intent to sell cannabis within 1,000 feet of a place of worship and possession with intent to sell cannabis, making him legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
James is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. on February 16, 2027, before Chief U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor in Gainesville. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department jointly investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Fleming is prosecuting the matter.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the U.S. Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative for bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and other public safety partners to combat violent crime and strengthen community safety. The program is coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices across all 94 federal districts and is tailored to address the specific violent-crime and public-safety challenges facing individual communities. As a central part of Operation Take Back America, PSN supports the Department’s broader commitment to improving public safety nationwide. Its three core principles are a rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders, strong strategic partnerships among law enforcement agencies at every level, and accountability and deterrence through prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and reinforce President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, supporting a comprehensive federal response to the most urgent public safety concerns facing communities.