Matthew Lee Keith, a 41-year-old resident of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced on Apr. 15 to seventeen years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and firearms offenses. The sentencing was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal and local authorities to address violent crime and drug trafficking in the community. Officials say such prosecutions are part of broader initiatives aimed at increasing public safety.
“Keeping our communities safe requires us to remove serial offenders, like this defendant, from our streets for extended periods of time. My office is up to the task, and this successful prosecution is yet another win under the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America initiative. As President Donald J. Trump has made clear, the American people deserve safe, crime-free streets, and that is exactly what my office and our state and federal law enforcement partners will deliver with more cases like this,” Heekin said.
According to court documents, Keith was stopped by law enforcement in August 2024 as part of an ongoing drug investigation in Panama City. A trained K-9 unit alerted officers to drugs inside his vehicle during a traffic stop. Officers then found fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, alprazolam, a loaded handgun, and other items associated with drug distribution. Authorities report that Keith has several prior felony convictions including tampering with a witness, carrying a concealed weapon, battery, trafficking methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of heroin and cocaine.
The case resulted from a joint investigation involving the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide effort led by the Department of Justice focused on addressing illegal immigration issues as well as eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
For more information about public court documents or about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
