Carlton Bruce Cooke, a 40-year-old resident of Pensacola, Florida, has been sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentencing was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “My office is committed to ensuring our community’s most violent offenders are confronted with the full force of the law. This repeat felon not only unlawfully possessed a firearm, he used it to threaten others. Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will do everything in our power to stop those who are endangering our communities. I am proud of the work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe.”
According to court records, on July 10, 2024, Cooke saw his roommates talking in a truck parked in their driveway during the early morning hours. He left his home carrying a firearm and ordered them to leave before firing a shot into the ground near their vehicle. A search warrant was later executed on Cooke’s vehicle, resulting in the seizure of two loaded handguns—one with an extended magazine—and additional ammunition. Cooke has prior convictions for multiple firearms offenses.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives together with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), an initiative led by the Department of Justice that aims to combat illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime through coordinated efforts like the 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 serving as principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. Public court documents can be accessed via the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website, while more information about this office is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
