Gainesville man sentenced to 15 years in prison after violating probation

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Devonn Antwan Sowell, 37, has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison following a July arrest on firearms charges.

On July 3, 2026, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to a call about an armed disturbance in Carol Estates and arrested Sowell for pointing a gun at another man; he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. At the time, Sowell was on probation in two 2022 cases, both involving firearms.

On September 15, Sowell entered a plea of nolo contendere to violating probation in the two 2022 cases, along with the July charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; the aggravated assault charge was dropped as part of the plea agreement. According to the plea document, the maximum sentence for the charges is 55 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of three years.

Judge Robert Groeb sentenced Sowell to 15 years in prison for violating probation on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with a 5-year concurrent sentence for violating probation on a charge of grand theft. He has credit for 1,104 days served for those sentences.

Judge Groeb also sentenced Sowell to 15 years in prison for violating probation on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with a 5-year concurrent sentence for violating probation on a charge of aggravated assault. He has credit for 1,104 days served for those sentences.

Judge Groeb sentenced Sowell to 12 years in prison for the July charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with a three-year mandatory minimum and credit for 72 days served.

All of the sentences will be served concurrently.