TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Eddie Lee Shular Jr., 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent work of our local and federal partners to make our community safer by getting this dangerous individual off the streets.  My office remains committed to fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by targeting criminals who are endangering our communities with the full force of the law.”

Court documents reflect that in March 2025, an officer from the Tallahassee Police Department found a vehicle illegally parked in Jack McLean Park overnight. The officer made contact with two occupants and could smell marijuana and see drug paraphernalia. During a search of the vehicle, a firearm was found in the glovebox. Subsequent DNA testing found Shular’s DNA on the firearm.

Shular has 17 prior felony convictions. He faces imprisonment for up to 15 years.

The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.