TALLAHASSEE, FL – Johntavious Tiller, 31, of Wewahitchka, Florida, is headed back to prison for a decade. A federal jury convicted Tiller of possessing heroin and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, along with cocaine, and he later pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm while involved in drug trafficking. U.S. District Judge delivered the sentence on Tuesday, adding five years of supervised release to the ten-year prison term.
The bust started September 21, 2019, when Panama City Police pulled Tiller over. A search of his vehicle revealed nine baggies of meth, a baggie of heroin, a digital scale, and a loaded .45 caliber pistol. Tiller briefly bonded out, but law enforcement wasn’t finished with him. Less than a month later, on October 29, 2019, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office caught him again, this time with 31 baggies of cocaine and a .44 caliber revolver.
Federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) took over the case, digging into Tiller’s extensive criminal history. Turns out, this wasn’t Tiller’s first rodeo. The feds designated him a “Career Offender” due to eleven prior felony convictions, including multiple offenses involving drugs and firearms. He’d only been out of prison for six months when he re-offended.
U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody, for the Northern District of Florida, touted the sentence as a win for public safety. “We will continue to support the efforts our law enforcement partners as we work together to investigate and prosecute criminals bringing drugs into North Florida,” Coody stated. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. McCain.
The takedown was a joint effort involving the Panama City Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Panama City Beach Police Department, ATF, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The operation falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program aiming to reduce violent crime and gun violence. Officials are also urging residents to lock their car doors, citing vehicle burglaries as a major source of firearms for criminals in the region.
This sentencing is another example of the Northern District of Florida’s commitment to tackling the drug trade and putting repeat offenders like Johntavious Tiller behind bars. The U.S. Attorney’s Office serves as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. Court documents related to the case are available on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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