This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
Gainesville, Florida – Peter Guiseppe Stefani, 25, of Levy County, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition 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: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of the Levy County Sheriff’s Office, my office has successfully prosecuted this dangerous, armed felon and we’ll see to it that he is sent to federal prison. Keeping our citizens safe and our streets crime-free remains our top priority.”
Court documents reflect that on July 9, 2026, the defendant was stopped and detained by a Levy County Sheriff’s deputy at a gas station because he had an active arrest warrant for violation of probation. While placing the defendant under arrest, the deputy located a fully loaded, .45 caliber firearm on the defendant’s hip, as pictured below.
Prior to this offense, the defendant was convicted of four other felony offenses and therefore could not legally possess a firearm. Stefani faces a maximum sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2027, at 11:30am at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The case involved an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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.
