FORMER LEON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY CHARGED WITH POSSESSING MULTIPLE ILLEGAL FIREARMS

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Bill Culpepper, 57, of Havana, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for three counts of possession of a machine gun, three counts of possession of an unregistered firearm/short-barrel rifle, and one count of possession of an unmarked silencer. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.

Culpepper appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick for his arraignment in federal court on September 11, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. Trial is set for November 4, 2025 at 8:30 am, before United States Chief District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

If convicted, Culpepper faces up to ten years' imprisonment for each count.

The case was investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K Mountin.

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 (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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://http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.