Pensacola, Florida – Lavon Trinere Mars, 39, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Mars appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for November 16, 2026, in Pensacola before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
If convicted, Mars faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and up to life imprisonment on the drug conspiracy count and up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas S.P. Geeker.
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.
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.