GAINESVILLE, Fla. – DeShawn Russ, 36, of Jacksonville, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Keeping this violent, serial felon off our streets and locked away behind bars is necessary to protect our communities from his continued criminality,” U.S. Attorney Heekin said. “I am grateful for the excellent investigative work by the Gainesville Police Department, with support from our federal law enforcement partners, that facilitated this successful prosecution by my office.”
Original arrest
On Aug. 3, 2025, a Gainesville Police Department officer reported that Russ was riding in a vehicle driven by the victim when he threatened to kill the victim and then himself. Russ was reportedly “actively in possession of a firearm” at the time. He allegedly fired a shot directly in front of the victim’s face, leaving a bullet hole in the front driver’s-side window. Although investigators did not recover a firearm, they found a .380-caliber bullet in Russ’s pocket. As a multiple-time convicted felon, Russ is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. During sentencing, the court determined that he had fired the weapon and later obstructed justice by encouraging witnesses to alter their statements.
“Time and again, convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition continue to place our community at risk,” Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya said. “We are grateful for the thorough work of our investigators and our federal partners in holding him accountable for his actions.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie S. Utt is prosecuting the matter.
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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 improve community safety. U.S. attorneys’ offices coordinate PSN efforts across all 94 federal districts, tailoring the program to address local violent-crime and public-safety challenges. As a central part of Operation Take Back America, PSN supports the Department of Justice’s broader commitment to protecting communities nationwide. The initiative focuses on three core principles: a rapid federal response to violent crime and repeat offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement agencies at every level; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses, along with other public-safety strategies. These efforts complement and reinforce President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, creating a comprehensive federal response to the most urgent public-safety issues facing communities.