Repeat felon pleads guilty to federal firearm offense

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Robert Anthony Yancy, Jr., 25, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm 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, “Convicted felons are legally prohibited from possessing firearms because they have demonstrated through their criminality that they pose a danger to the law-abiding citizens of our community. Keeping our citizens safe from the predations of serial felons, like this defendant, remains a top priority for my office, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to deliver the safe streets our citizens deserve.”

Original arrest

Yancy was arrested on January 2, 2026, after a traffic stop for non-working taillights and tag lights. An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy reported smelling marijuana and then reported that marijuana “shake” was in plain view on the center console. A probable cause search of the vehicle reportedly produced a handgun in a bag behind the passenger seat; Yancy reportedly made spontaneous statements indicating that he knew he was a felon and shouldn’t have had the firearm, but he was in the process of moving to a new apartment.

Yancy 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 Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting the case.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 4, 2026, at 2:00 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.