Gainesville felon sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for drug and gun crimes

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – DaMorie Lamontay Miles, 20, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of receipt, possession, transfer, or production of a firearm which is not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. 

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “This successful prosecution and sentence notches another win for the Department of Justice and continues to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche that we will devote the full might of the federal government toward delivering safe, drug-free streets for our citizens.”

Original arrest

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.

Court records reflect that the defendant was communicating via text message and social media with others to buy and sell marijuana and to obtain a machine gun conversion device (MCD). The MCD and 600 grams of marijuana were found when the search warrant was executed at his residence.

“Our goal is to make Gainesville a safer place, and that means keeping dangerous drugs and illegal firearms out of the hands of those who would use them to harm others,” said Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya.

Miles’ sentence will run consecutive to another state sentence involving the possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and the possession of a weapon or ammunition by a Florida delinquent.

The case involved an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.