Gainesville man pleads guilty to federal firearm offense

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kenneth Ellis Wetherington, 60, pleaded guilty in federal court to 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, “The safety of our communities is not negotiable. To reduce violent crime, it is necessary to incapacitate chronic violent offenders, like this defendant, through robust prosecutions and strict incarceration policies. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute crimes like this to deliver the safe communities our citizens deserve.”

Original arrest

At about 10:15 p.m. on November 21, 2025, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to reports of shots fired in the 100 block of NW 9th Terrace; witnesses said shots had been fired from the parking lot of the building at 102 NW 9th Terrace. One witness said Wetherington was seen arguing with an unknown male and the argument escalated until Wetherington fired a pistol.

Officers made contact with Wetherington at his apartment in the building where the shots were reported, and a witness said Wetherington had admitted that he had a gun during the argument and had fired several shots. Three .40 S&W Federal shell casings were reportedly found in the parking lot.

A search warrant for Wetherington’s apartment was obtained, and officers reportedly found a handgun loaded with six .40 S&W Federal rounds that matched the shell casings recovered outside.

An additional loaded magazine for the handgun was also reportedly found, along with a broken shotgun, 28 rounds of .40 S&W Federal ammunition, and 26 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition. 

Wetherington faces a maximum term of fifteen years’ imprisonment.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting the case.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 4, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen 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.