PENSACOLA, Fla. — A Fort Walton Beach man has been sentenced to 12½ years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a machine gun, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
Louis Terrell Jones, 42, was stopped by an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy in November 2024. During the stop, the deputy reportedly searched the vehicle and found a Glock 9 millimeter pistol equipped with a machine gun conversion device.
Mr Jones is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions, including aggravated assault by threat with a firearm.
U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin announced the sentence. He said the case reflects coordinated work between state law enforcement and the ATF.
“Thanks to the outstanding investigative work by our state law enforcement partner, with support from the ATF, this violent felon has been taken off our streets,” said Mr Heekin.
“My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to keep our communities safe.”
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp prosecuted the case.
