Justin Grantsteadman, a 36-year-old resident of Tallahassee, Florida, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “The U.S. Marshals are second-to-none in tracking down fugitives and bringing them to justice. My office stands ready to back up their hard work to get dangerous felons off our streets with successful prosecutions and lengthy prison sentences to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
According to court documents, the United States Marshal Service Fugitive Task Force found Grantsteadman at a motel in Midway, Florida, after an active warrant was issued for his absconding from state felony probation. When law enforcement arrested him, they discovered a Taurus 9-millimeter pistol in his front pocket that had been reported stolen several days earlier in Tallahassee.
Acting U.S. Marshal Greg Leljedal commented: “Grantsteadman was an armed and dangerous fugitive who thought he could outrun the law. Our community is now safer with him behind bars.”
After serving his prison term, Grantsteadman will be placed on three years of supervised release.
The investigation involved cooperation between the United States Marshals Service, the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protecting communities from violent crime as well as human and drug trafficking.
The United States Attorney’s Office also reminds residents to lock their car doors at night since thefts from unlocked vehicles remain a significant source of firearms for criminals in northern Florida.
For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida or public court documents, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
