JACKSONVILLE, FL – Ronald Bernard Thomas, Jr., 46, of Jacksonville, a man with a prior second-degree murder conviction, has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges related to a brazen drug trafficking operation conducted while armed with firearms. Thomas, known on the streets as “Gorilla,” faces a potentially life-altering sentence for flooding Jacksonville with deadly fentanyl and high-purity methamphetamine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating Thomas in 2021 after receiving information from a confidential informant. The informant claimed they could purchase narcotics from Thomas at a hotel near the Jacksonville airport. The tip proved accurate: on August 20, 2021, Thomas sold the informant a quantity of fentanyl, kicking off a deeper investigation that would reveal a pattern of illegal activity.
The operation continued into 2022, with another informant reporting that “Gorilla” was now operating out of a southside Jacksonville hotel. Over several months, this individual made multiple purchases from Thomas, including two transactions where he sold approximately one ounce of methamphetamine with a staggering purity level of up to 99%. Disturbingly, during at least one of these sales, Thomas brazenly kept two firearms within reach while weighing out the drugs.
On July 28, 2022, ATF agents moved to arrest Thomas during a traffic stop. A search revealed a Glock 9mm pistol tucked into his pants pocket. A subsequent search of his vehicle uncovered an FN Herstal 5.7 x 28mm pistol, loaded magazines, and approximately a half ounce of fentanyl with a 95% purity. As a convicted felon, Thomas was already legally prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
Thomas now faces a hefty potential sentence. He could receive up to 20 years in prison for each of the two counts of selling fentanyl, with a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years. The charges of selling methamphetamine carry a penalty ranging from 5 years to life in prison per count. His prior murder conviction will enhance the sentence for these drug charges. Additionally, he faces up to life in prison for each of two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and another 10 years for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The U.S. Attorney’s Office intends to seize the two firearms used in the commission of these crimes.
U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg emphasized that this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Mai Tran are prosecuting the case, with the investigation conducted jointly by ATF and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. This prosecution sends a clear message: those who prey on communities with drugs and guns will face the full force of federal law.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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