PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - Earl Vincent Hudgins III, 32, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court for possession of a firearm and ammunition 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: "I deeply appreciate the tireless efforts of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office and our federal law enforcement partners to keep our streets safe, and keeping firearms out of the hands of convicted felons is a major part of that effort. My office will continue to aggressively pursue prosecutions against repeat offenders, like this defendant, as long as it takes to make our communities safe."

Court documents reflect that on February 16, 2025, Hudgins was driving a vehicle when he was stopped for a traffic infraction. A subsequent search uncovered an AR-style firearm loaded with 15 rounds of .300 caliber ammunition, which he was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon. Later, law enforcement identified multiple posts on Hudgins' social media showing him in possession of the same firearm that was located during the traffic stop. Hudgins also posted a video during the traffic stop which was captioned, "Bout to go to jail."

Hudgins faces up to fifteen years' imprisonment as a result of his actions. If Hudgins is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, such term could be followed by up to a three year term of supervised release. Thus, if Hudgins were to violate any conditions of his release, he could potentially face an additional period of incarceration related to violating his supervision.

This case was a joint investigated by Escambia County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher C. Patterson and Jennifer H. Callahan.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.

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://http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.