Bill Ed Culpepper, Jr., a 56-year-old former deputy sheriff from Havana, Florida, has pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered machinegun. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “When this defendant unlawfully possessed these firearms, he not only violated federal law, but also the public trust placed in him as a sworn law enforcement officer. No one is above the law, and my office will not hesitate to aggressively prosecute every violation of federal law that occurs in the Northern District of Florida.”
The investigation began during a drug trafficking case involving Culpepper’s son, Garret Culpepper. Authorities developed probable cause to search Bill Ed Culpepper Jr.’s residence in Havana, where they found several unregistered machineguns and an unregistered rifle silencer.
Culpepper is scheduled for sentencing on January 20, 2026, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee. He could face up to ten years in prison.
The investigation involved the Tallahassee Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Eric K Mountin is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, a national initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida serves as one of 94 offices representing the nation under direction of the Attorney General. More information about court documents can be found at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website or at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
