Gainesville felon faces federal firearm charge

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Robert Anthony Yancy, Jr., 25, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge.

Yancy appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 27, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.

Yancy faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted.

Original arrest

Yancy was arrested on January 2, 2026, after a traffic stop for non-working taillights and tag lights. An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy reported smelling marijuana and then reported that marijuana “shake” was in plain view on the center console. A probable cause search of the vehicle reportedly produced a handgun in a bag behind the passenger seat; Yancy reportedly made spontaneous statements indicating that he knew he was a felon and shouldn’t have had the firearm, but he was in the process of moving to a new apartment.

The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

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.