Pensacola, Florida - Isaiah Markeis Sims, 23, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 27 months' in federal prison following his previous guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The term of imprisonment will be followed by three years on federal supervised release. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "Our state and federal law enforcement partners are on the front lines of the fight against dangerous criminals in our communities, and my office stands ready to back them up with successful prosecutions like this one to keep our streets safe. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi launched Operation Take Back America to deploy the full might of the Department of Justice toward eliminating the threats to our communities posed by dangerous criminals, and my office is committed to ensuring we are successful in that effort."

Court documents reflect that in August 2025, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which the defendant was a passenger. After detecting the odor of marijuana in the vehicle, law enforcement asked the occupants to step out of the vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, the defendant fled on foot and deputies gave chase, catching him when he later fell to the ground. After detaining him, deputies found a loaded Glock handgun that the defendant had dropped next to him on the ground. The defendant is a convicted felon.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.

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.