Carlton Bruce Cooke, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Florida 2024

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – In a move to crack down on repeat offenders, a local man has been sentenced to serve time behind bars for a firearm-related offense.

Carlton Bruce Cooke, 40, of Pensacola, Florida, has been sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for 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.

According to court records, Cooke observed his roommates sitting in a truck in their driveway on July 10, 2024. He exited the residence with a firearm in hand, ordering everyone to leave, and then fired a round into the ground near the vehicle. Law enforcement conducted a search warrant on Cooke’s vehicle, seizing a loaded handgun he had used and another loaded handgun with an extended magazine and ammunition.

Cooke has been previously convicted of multiple firearms offenses. The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan prosecuted this case.

The case is part of Operation Take Back America, 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida 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. The office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe.

The defendant’s previous convictions date back to prior instances of firearm offenses. Cooke will be serving his sentence at a federal prison. 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.

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