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 – Ke Anthony Javon Blackmon, 29, and Averee Kathryn Savage, 27, both of Pensacola, were indicted by a federal grand jury. Each defendant has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.

Blackmon appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Michael J. Frank in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

Savage appeared for her arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for January 20, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

If convicted, as charged, they each face a minimum mandatory of ten years up to life imprisonment on the drug charges and a maximum of 15 years imprisonment on the gun charge.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton is prosecuting the case.

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.

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 available 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.