19-year-old indicted on federal drug and gun charges

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – DaMorie Lamontay Miles, 19, of Gainesville, has been indicted in federal court for one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of unlawful transfer or possession of a machine gun, and one count of receipt, possession, transfer, or production of a firearm that 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 charges.

Miles appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry on January 7, 2026 in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for February 11, 2026, before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.

If convicted on all counts, Miles faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment.

Miles was arrested on September 3, 2025 in Gainesville on state charges of selling marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school and maintaining a structure for the purpose of selling drugs after a search warrant was executed on his residence while he was on house arrest. He was later charged with attempted premeditated homicide, shooting into a dwelling, and conspiracy to commit murder after Gainesville Police Department officers alleged that he had sent two juveniles to shoot into an occupied residence.

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

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.

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.