JACKSONVILLE, FL – Johnny Deangelo White, 46, of Jacksonville, is headed to federal prison for eight years and four months after pleading guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and illegally possessing a firearm. U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard handed down the sentence Friday, marking another win for federal authorities battling the opioid crisis and gun violence in Florida.
The case unfolded on April 27, 2022, when Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers responded to a disturbing call: a man waving a gun outside a grocery store. That man was White. Rather than face the music, White bolted into the store, ditching the loaded weapon amongst the potato chips in a pathetic attempt to hide it. The gun was recovered, quickly identified as stolen, and White was placed under arrest.
A search of White revealed more than just desperation. Officers found a sunglasses case stuffed with fentanyl, packaged in a way that screamed street-level distribution. White later confessed to peddling the deadly opioid since early 2022, adding fuel to an already raging fire of addiction and overdose deaths gripping the nation. This wasn’t a first offense, not by a long shot.
White boasts a rap sheet stretching back years, a seven-time convicted felon with a blatant disregard for the law. Federal statutes explicitly prohibit him from possessing firearms or ammunition, a fact clearly lost on White as he brandished the stolen weapon in public. His history of criminal behavior played a significant role in the severity of the sentence, prosecutors argued.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, highlighting the importance of interagency cooperation in tackling complex criminal enterprises. Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro led the prosecution, with forfeiture proceedings to be handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mai Tran. Expect a full accounting of White’s ill-gotten gains.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN), a broad initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering trust with communities, supporting local organizations, and strategically prioritizing enforcement. While PSN sounds good on paper, it remains to be seen if it will truly make a dent in Jacksonville’s ongoing crime problems. But for now, one more fentanyl dealer is off the streets, and one more illegal gun is out of circulation.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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