Gainesville area gang member sentenced to federal prison for firearm offense

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Devon Oliver, 18, of Gainesville, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for possession of a firearm with a removed serial number. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “Our communities have been plagued by gang violence for too long, and Operation Take Back America is devoting the full might of the Department of Justice toward removing those dangerous, violent criminals from our streets. This successful prosecution is yet another win for the citizens of the Northern District of Florida, and a reassurance that my office remains committed to delivering the safe streets that they deserve.”

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, 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, a documented member of a local gang, sitting on the second floor of a stairwell. Officers traced his flight path and 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, also has a juvenile conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Chief Moya: “We will have zero tolerance for violent offenders who arm themselves unlawfully”

“A weapon with its serial number removed and loaded with an extended magazine is a direct threat to every resident and every officer who encounters it,” said Chief Moya, Gainesville Police Department. “We will have zero tolerance for violent offenders who arm themselves unlawfully, and we will continue working relentlessly to take these guns off our streets.”

After serving two years in prison, Oliver will be on supervised release for an additional three years, during which he will be on home detention for six months.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

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.