Gainesville man sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for drug distribution and illegal weapons charges

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Khalil Keari Barnett, 30, has been sentenced to seven years in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, another violent, drug-peddling criminal has been removed from our streets. Operation Take Back America was launched to deploy the full might of the Department of Justice toward eliminating the threats to our communities posed by violent criminals like this defendant, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute those offenders until our streets are safe and drug-free.”

Original arrest

On August 7, 2025, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call about a domestic battery, but Barnett was no longer at the scene; when deputies found him, he ran, and deputies saw him discard a firearm and a large bag of marijuana.

A search incident to arrest produced about 16.4 grams of marijuana and a box of ammunition with 13 bullets on Barnett’s person; a Glock 42 with six rounds of ammunition and a shopping bag containing over one pound of marijuana were found along Barnett’s path.

Post Miranda, Barnett reportedly said that he and the victim had engaged in a verbal argument and nothing ever became physical, but he later said he “acted off reflex” to get the victim away from him. He reportedly said he fled because he did not want to “catch a domestic” charge and that he ran when he saw deputies because he knew it was “time to go to jail.” He reportedly said the discarded marijuana was his and that it was all for personal use because he “smokes a lot of weed.”

Barnett was originally charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a school/child care facility, two counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, tampering with evidence, battery with a prior battery conviction (a felony), and resisting an officer without violence. He has juvenile convictions between 2008 and 2014, one adult felony conviction (non-violent), and four adult misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2021. The state charges were dropped after the federal indictment.

Sheriff Chad Scott: “We will not allow violent criminals who inflict physical harm, unlawfully possess weapons, and traffic narcotics to roam our streets in search of their next victim.” 

Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott said, “The arrest and subsequent federal conviction of Mr. Barnett is, once again, strong evidence to our community that we will not allow violent criminals who inflict physical harm, unlawfully possess weapons, and traffic narcotics to roam our streets in search of their next victim. As your Sheriff, I stood before this community and made a commitment to keep you safe while you enjoy all that Alachua County has to offer. It is through partnerships like our relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, that we are able to uphold that promise.”

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt prosecuted the case.

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.