Tallahassee, Florida – David Benjamina Davis, 43, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm 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: “This case required exceptional investigative work by the Tallahassee Police Department, with support from our federal law enforcement partners, to identify, locate, and arrest this violent criminal. My office stands shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement partners in the fight against violent crime, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to ensure dangerous thugs, like this defendant, are kept out of our communities and locked away behind bars.”
Court documents reflect that on February 7, 2026, the defendant was the driver of a car at the intersection of Ocala Road and Pensacola Street in Tallahassee. The defendant rolled down his window and fired a handgun several times into the air. After discharging his firearm, the defendant ran a red light and fled the area. The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) investigated the shooting and located traffic camera footage that captured the shots. A detective responded to the scene and recovered twelve .40-caliber shell casings.
On February 10, 2026, TPD executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence, and located the firearm used in the shooting hidden in a wall-mounted “concealment shelf.”
A loaded, extended Glock magazine was found next to the firearm, and a separate drum-style magazine was found in a dresser drawer. Laboratory analysis confirmed the defendant’s firearm had fired the shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting. Historical location information for the defendant’s cellphone also put him at the scene of the shooting at the time of the shooting on February 7, 2026.
The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously spent 10 years in prison for two counts of robbery with a firearm, two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and possession of a controlled substance.
The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
The defendant faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2026, at 10:00 am, in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
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 Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.