Panama City Beach Felon Pleads Guilty to Gun & Drug Charges

Tallahassee, Florida - Joseph Primus Gainer, 44, of Panama City Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and marijuana, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the guilty plea.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, "Keeping this serial felon off our streets and locked away behind bars is going to have a meaningful impact on the public safety of our communities. I applaud the excellent investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners to help bring this repeat offender to justice, and commit that my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to deliver the safe, drug-free streets the citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve."

Court records reflect that pursuant to a joint law enforcement investigation of the defendant, a search warrant was served on the defendant's Panama City residence. During the search, law enforcement located and seized fentanyl tablets, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded Taurus 9-millimeter handgun. The defendant has multiple prior felony convictions dating back to 2005 including felon in possession of a firearm and possession of controlled substances.

Gainer faces enhanced penalties of up to 30 years' imprisonment on the drug count due to a prior drug trafficking conviction and up to 15 years' imprisonment on the firearm count. Sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2026, at 1:00pm before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.

The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bay County Sheriff's Office, the Panama City Beach Police Department, and the Panama City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.

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 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.