Gainesville Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun Offenses

Gainesville, Florida - DaMorie Lamontay Miles, 19, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of receipt, possession, transfer, or production of a firearm which is not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the guilty plea.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "Running with drugs and illegal firearms in the Northern District of Florida is a one-way ticket to federal prison, and my office is more than happy to send this felon on his way. Operation Take Back America is a promise to U.S. citizens that the Department of Justice will devote maximum resources toward keeping our streets safe and drug-free, and my office will continue to deliver on that promise with successful prosecutions like this one."

Court records reflect that the defendant was communicating via text message and social media with others to buy and sell marijuana and to obtain a machine gun conversion device (MCD). The defendant was arrested after a search warrant of his residence produced over 600 grams of marijuana and the MCD.

If convicted on all counts, Miles faces up to 10 years' imprisonment.

The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.

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.