Panama City Beach Felon Indicted on Gun and Drug Charges

Tallahassee, Florida - Joseph Primus Gainer, 44, of Panama City Beach, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for 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 charges.

Gainer appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for August 24, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.

If convicted, 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.

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.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

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.