Gainesville man pleads guilty to federal firearm charge
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ramone Ron Young, Jr., 34, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition 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, “Keeping dangerous, violent felons off our streets is one of my office’s top priorities, and thanks to the excellent investigative work of the Gainesville Police Department, with support from our federal law enforcement partners, we have delivered another successful prosecution in this case. Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche, my office is aggressively prosecuting criminal offenders to ensure our citizens can enjoy the safe, crime-free streets they deserve.”
Original arrest
At about 1 a.m. on May 28, 2026, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to a report of an armed disturbance at a home in the Northeast Neighbors area and spoke with Young in front of the home. When officers pointed guns at Young and asked where the gun was, Young reportedly said he doesn’t have a gun; the officers detained him in handcuffs.
The victim, a blood relative who lived in the house with Young, said she and Young were arguing when Young became upset, pulled out a black handgun, and pointed it at her head. She said Young said he was going to kill her, but then he ran outside and threw the handgun into the front yard; she said nobody else saw the incident, but Young was on the phone with his mother at the time.
A K-9 team reportedly found a loaded FMK .40-caliber black handgun in a bush in the front yard.
Young faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon count.
Young’s sentencing is scheduled for November 23, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. before Chief United States District Allen Winsor at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida.
The plea was the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyler Fleming.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.