Gainesville felon pleads guilty to federal gun and drug crimes
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – William Blas Hernandez, 28, of Gainesville, has pleaded guilty to three federal offenses: (1) possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; (2) carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime; and (3) possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I commend the excellent work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to stop this serial felon from continuing to peddle deadly drugs in our community. My office has zero tolerance for these types of repeat offenders who endanger our communities with their brazen disregard for the law, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to ensure criminals like this defendant are kept off our streets.”
Charges arose from a traffic stop
At about 10 a.m. on July 5, 2025, a Gainesville Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Hernandez for driving 54 mph in a 45 mph zone in the 3800 block of NE 14th Street. When the officer asked if there were any illegal narcotics or weapons in the vehicle, Hernandez glanced at a gold backpack on the passenger floorboard and said there was nothing in the vehicle.
The officer reported that he saw a fresh marijuana “blunt” in the driver’s side door pocket, and a probable cause search of the vehicle produced a loaded 9mm pistol in the gold backpack; the pistol had been reported lost in Orlando. The backpack also held 42 grams of pressed pills, 18.6 grams of methamphetamines, 2.1 grams of an unknown purple powder in a baggie, a digital scale, a pack of plastic baggies, and an ATM receipt for a transaction on Hernandez’s bank account.
Post Miranda, Hernandez reportedly said the backpack was not his and he didn’t know about any of its contents. When asked if his fingerprints would be found on any of the contents, he reportedly said they would not because he hadn’t touched anything inside the backpack.
Later, Hernandez reportedly said the backpack and its contents were his. He reportedly said the pressed pills were MDMA, the crystalline powder was methamphetamine, and he did not know what the purple powder was. He reportedly said he was selling illegal narcotics because of financial and family struggles.
When the officer asked where he got the gun, Hernandez reportedly said he found it on the side of the road in Interlachen. The officer asked Hernandez if he knew he was a convicted felon and was not allowed to possess firearms, and Hernandez reportedly said he was aware of those things.
Hernandez faces a sentence of 10 years to life
Hernandez now faces a minimum of ten years and up to life in federal prison. Following his release, he will be on supervised release for at least four years.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James McCain.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 10, 2026, at 10:00 am in Gainesville, Florida, before Chief United States District Court 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.