Gainesville 18-year-old pleads guilty to federal charge of possessing a firearm with an altered serial number

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Devon Oliver, 18, 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.

Oliver’s original arrest

At about 1:30 p.m. on October 22, 2025, a Gainesville Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on a scooter in Arbor Park Apartments (309 SW 16th Avenue) for an unspecified traffic violation; he reported that the rider made eye contact with him and then started running westbound through the apartment complex. The officer told him to stop, but the rider, later identified as Oliver, allegedly turned around and ran eastbound, clutching the right side of his clothing. The officer communicated over the radio that Oliver was fleeing from him while clutching something, which often happens when a subject is carrying a firearm.

The officer eventually found Oliver sitting on the second floor of a stairwell. Officers traced his flight path and reportedly found shoes matching the ones he’d worn at the time of the traffic stop and a 9mm Palmetto State firearm in some shrubs; the firearm had an extended magazine, was loaded with 22 rounds, had purple and white rubber bands around it, and was missing the bottom section of the frame, where the serial number would be.

Post Miranda, Oliver reportedly said he had purchased the firearm from an unknown white man for $1,500 a few months ago. He reportedly admitted to discarding the firearm while he ran “due to the fear of being shot by police.” He said he did not remove the serial number from the firearm but just added the rubber bands.

Oliver, who was attending an alternative high school at the time of his arrest, has a juvenile conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm.

GPD and ATF investigated the case

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.”

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.