Eustis Man Who Shot at Law Enforcement Drone Sentenced to Federal Prison

Ocala, FL - Justin Tyler Kress (34, Eustis) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber to 15 months in federal prison for the attempted destruction of an aircraft (law enforcement drone). The court also ordered Kress to pay $8,200 in restitution. Kress pleaded guilty on May 26, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregroy W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, on March 4, 2025, Kress shot and damaged a drone belonging to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Deputies had been using the drone to conduct physical surveillance of Kress on his rural, multi-acre property as they attempted to arrest him on a warrant for felony criminal mischief. Kress had told his neighbors earlier that he would shoot at law enforcement officers if they tried to arrest him for damaging nearby fences. After taking Kress into custody, deputies obtained a search warrant and located 20-gauge shotgun shells in the area where Kress had been shooting at the drone. Inside the residence, they found three firearms-a 20-gauge shotgun, a rifle, and a pistol.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Lake County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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. 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.