Gainesville Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearm

Gainesville, Florida - Terry Lajace Lee, 43, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "We will not stop strictly enforcing the law, and we will not be deterred from keeping our streets safe from dangerous criminals, like this repeat felon. The citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve to live on safe, crime-free streets, and that is exactly what my office will deliver with continued successful prosecutions like this."

Court documents reflect that during a traffic stop on February 21, 2026, the defendant was found to be driving with a suspended license. A subsequent search of the defendant and his vehicle revealed marijuana and a handgun. The defendant is not permitted to have a handgun due to four prior felony convictions.

Lee faces a maximum sentence of fifteen years' imprisonment.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 20, 2026, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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 FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.