Milton felon sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for unlawful firearm possession (DOJ)

Pensacola, Florida - Willie Curtis Slack Jr., 50, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced to fifteen years in federal prison after having previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of firearms 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: "Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminals, like this serial felon, is imperative if we hope to succeed in keeping our communities safe. Thanks to this successful prosecution by my office we can rest assured this thug can't continue to terrorize our community. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche have committed the full might of the Department of Justice toward incapacitating the perpetrators of violent crime, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute those offenders to deliver the safe, crime-free streets that our citizens deserve."

Court documents reflect that during a traffic stop in October 2023, law enforcement officers found and seized a loaded pistol and marijuana from the defendant's waistband. Then, in December 2024, law enforcement seized two additional firearms and matching bulk ammunition that the defendant had knowingly possessed earlier that year. Prior to these incidents, the defendant had been convicted of numerous felonies, including batteries, resisting officer with violence, aggravated assault by threat, and multiple drug sale and trafficking convictions. As a result, he was subject to enhanced minimum mandatory penalties under the Armed Career Criminal Act in this case.

The sentence was the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Escambia County Sheriff's Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.

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 FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.