Gainesville man sentenced to federal prison for possession of a machine gun

Press release from the U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jaquan Tyrell Calhoun, 21, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced in federal court to 5 years and 10 months imprisonment for possession of a machine gun. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “With yet another successful prosecution, my office continues to deliver on the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the violent criminals who have threatened the safety of our communities for far too long. I deeply appreciate the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to identify and remove this offender from the streets, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes with the full force of our federal laws.”

Court records reflect that Calhoun, who is a member of a gang, would routinely post images and videos of himself with firearms on social media, including multiple videos of himself shooting machine guns. On April 21, 2024, Calhoun and codefendant Lagarius Johnson live-streamed a video of themselves posing with cash and firearms. Calhoun is seen on video flashing a Glock pistol that had been modified with a machine gun conversion device. Johnson was arrested later that night, carrying that same illegally modified Glock pistol, which was confirmed to be a machine gun.

Lagarius Johnson was sentenced in August to over 35 years in federal prison.

“Calhoun’s decision to flaunt a machine gun on social media highlighted the recklessness that endangers our communities,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “This sentencing demonstrates our commitment to working side by side with our federal and local partners to stop violent and organized criminal activity in our communities.”

“The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office remains steadfast in our commitment to combat gun violence in our community by working closely with our state and federal partners to locate and apprehend criminals like Jaquan Calhoun — individuals who have no business possessing a firearm, let alone one illegally modified into a deadly automatic weapon,” stated Sheriff Chad Scott, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

The case involved an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Eric W. Welch 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.