Deonte Deangelo Hill, a 33-year-old resident of Tallahassee, Florida, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “This serial offender has demonstrated that the only way our community can be kept safe from his criminal behavior is by keeping him incarcerated in federal prison. Thanks to the excellent work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, and this successful prosecution by my office, that is exactly where he will remain. The residents of the Northern District of Florida deserve to live in safe communities, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute violent offenders like this defendant to deliver that safety.”
According to court records, on September 21, 2024, Hill fired an AK-47-style rifle into the air at the Griffin Heights Apartment Complex parking lot in Tallahassee. Police found both Hill and the vehicle used to leave the scene at another nearby apartment complex; Hill fled on foot but was apprehended shortly after. Officers recovered an AK-47-style rifle from the driver’s floorboard where Hill had been seated and also found a photograph of the firearm on his cellphone.
Hill’s criminal history includes previous federal convictions from 2012 for two counts of cocaine distribution—resulting in a 15-month sentence—and from 2017 for possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone and cocaine base, which led to an 84-month sentence. He also has prior state convictions for possession of cannabis with intent to sell, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, and fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement.
Upon completion of his latest prison term, Hill will be subject to five years of supervised release.
The investigation involved collaboration between 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 national initiative focused on countering illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protecting communities from violent crime.
As part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office advises residents to lock their car doors at night since unlocked vehicles are frequently targeted for gun thefts in northern Florida.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida serves as one of 94 offices representing principal litigators under direction from the Attorney General. More information about public court documents can be found at U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website or by visiting http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
