PENSACOLA, 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.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Isaiah Markeis Sims, 23, of Pensacola, 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: “Operation Take Back America continues to deliver on the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that our communities would be made safer by unleashing the full power of the Department of Justice to crack down on the perpetrators of violent crime. I am very proud of the excellent work by Sheriff Chip Simmons and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, to remove this dangerous felon from our streets, and my office will continue to back up their efforts with successful prosecutions.”

Court documents reflect that on August 25, 2025, deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle, and the defendant was a passenger in the vehicle. The defendant fled on foot from the deputies and when he fell to the ground, deputies located a loaded Glock handgun beside him on the ground. The defendant is a convicted felon.

Sims faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment. 

The case involved a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2026, at 10:00am at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America 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, human and drug trafficking.

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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.