Panama City Man Faces 35 Years on Drug & Gun Charges

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Marlow Level Allen, 46, of Panama City, Florida, is facing serious federal charges after being indicted by a grand jury this week. Allen is accused of possessing cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana with the intent to distribute, alongside possession of a firearm despite being a convicted felon. The indictment signals a continued crackdown on drug and weapon offenses in the Northern District of Florida.

United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced the charges today, detailing a case built by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The investigation, while details remain scarce, clearly yielded enough evidence for a grand jury to return an indictment, initiating the formal legal process against Allen. Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin will lead the prosecution.

If convicted on the drug count, Allen could face up to twenty years behind bars. But the stakes are even higher considering the firearm charge. As a convicted felon, possession of a firearm carries a minimum mandatory sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment. That means, if found guilty on both counts, Allen is looking at a potential thirty-five year stretch in federal prison.

Allen is currently scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on August 14, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. in Tallahassee. This initial court appearance will be a crucial moment, where Allen will be formally advised of the charges against him and enter a plea. Until then, he remains presumed innocent, and the government bears the burden of proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case isn’t being handled in isolation. It’s part of “Operation Take Back America,” a sweeping nationwide initiative spearheaded by the Department of Justice. The operation aims to dismantle cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime by streamlining resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The DOJ link for more information on Operation Take Back America can be found here.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, one of 94 across the country, serves as the primary federal litigator in the region under the direction of the Attorney General. Public court documents related to this case, and others, can be accessed on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. Further information regarding the United States Attorney’s Office can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

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