PANAMA CITY FELON PLEADS GUILTY TO NARCOTICS AND FIREARMS CHARGES

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Matthew Lee Keith, 41, of Panama City, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 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 the Bay County Sheriff's Office and our federal law enforcement partners, another dangerous criminal has been removed from our streets. The message from my office is clear: to the criminals who flood our communities with deadly drugs and violence, your days are numbered. We will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent of the law."

Court documents reflect that in August 2024, as part of an ongoing drug investigation, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by the defendant in Panama City, Florida. During the traffic stop, the vehicle was checked by a trained K-9 unit which alerted to the presence of drugs. During the subsequent search of the vehicle, investigators located fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, alprazolam, a loaded handgun, as well as other items indicative of drug distribution. The defendant is a convicted felon, who has previously been convicted of numerous felony offenses, including Tampering with a Witness, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Battery, Trafficking Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Heroin, and Possession of Cocaine.

If convicted, Keith faces up to 40 years' imprisonment for the drug trafficking crime and up to 15 years for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a consecutive five-year term with a maximum of life imprisonment.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark Walker.

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.