Pensacola Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges

Pensacola, Florida - Jesse Allen Hudson, 43, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession of unregistered firearm. 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 by our state law enforcement partners, and this aggressive prosecution by my office, this violent felon has been taken off our streets and he'll be kept locked in federal prison where he belongs."

Court documents reflect that on January 21, 2026, Escambia County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a disturbance complaint at a residence in Pensacola, Florida. Upon arrival, deputies encountered the defendant and his wife. The deputies learned that firearms were missing from the residence and that the defendant had been previously convicted of multiple felonies, including Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, Resisting an Officer with Violence, and Fleeing to Elude Police and Destroying or Tampering with Evidence. Based on these felony convictions, the defendant was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. With the wife's consent, deputies searched the property for the missing firearms and discovered several loaded AR-style magazines and an unregistered multi-caliber short-barreled rifle among the defendant's belongings.

Hudson faces up to 15 years' imprisonment on the possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon count, and up to 10 years' imprisonment on the possession of unregistered firearm count.

Hudson's sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida.

The plea was the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas S.P. Geeker.

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.