Willie Frank Hicks, Jr., 42, of Madison, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of distribution of methamphetamine. The charge was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Hicks, Jr. is scheduled to appear for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on August 12, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in Tallahassee.
If convicted, Smith faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment with a maximum of life imprisonment.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin is prosecuting.
“An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial,” according to the statement.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations through combined efforts from various Department of Justice programs such as OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida serves as one of 94 offices responsible for federal litigation across the country under direction from the Attorney General. Public court documents can be accessed online through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website, while more information about this office can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
