Gainesville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Offense (DOJ)

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - Devon Oliver, 18, of Gainesville, Florida, has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with a removed serial number. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "Our brave state and federal law enforcement partners are on the front lines every day fighting to keep our communities safe, and my office will continue to back up those efforts with successful prosecutions like this one."

Court documents reflect that on October 22, 2025, Oliver was riding an electric scooter with a firearm concealed in his waistband. When law enforcement attempted to detain Oliver for a traffic violation, he attempted to flee on foot and discarded the firearm in the bushes of an apartment complex. After law enforcement recovered the firearm, they discovered it had an extended magazine loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition and the serial number had been cut off and removed. Oliver was arrested while hiding in a stairwell and subsequently admitted he threw the firearm while fleeing.

Oliver faces up to five years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

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.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 28, 2026, at 1:30 pm at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor

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, human and drug trafficking.

As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney's Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

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