Thomas Zachary Breeding, Retaliation Against Federal Informant, Florida 2024

PANAMA CITY, Florida – Thomas Zachary Breeding, 41, of Panama City, has been found guilty of retaliation against a federal informant and transmission of threatening communications in interstate commerce, according to a federal court announcement.

The guilty plea was made by Thomas Zachary Breeding in federal court for charges of retaliation against a federal informant and transmission of threatening communications in interstate commerce. U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin said that ensuring the safety of informants and witnesses against threats of reprisals is critical to the success of the Northern District of Florida in safeguarding communities from crime.

Court documents show that on May 31, 2024, Thomas Zachary Breeding sent Facebook messages threatening bodily injury to an individual. In the messages, he blamed the individual for sending him to prison, called him a ‘rat,’ and promised to ‘break’ a ‘knife off’ in their ‘guts.’

The defendant sent the threats to retaliate against the individual for having provided information to federal law enforcement as part of a prior federal investigation and prosecution of Thomas Zachary Breeding for distributing cocaine. At the time, the defendant was on federal supervised release for that prior case.

Thomas Zachary Breeding faces up to 25 years’ imprisonment and is currently set to have his sentencing and violation of supervised release hearings on December 18, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

The conviction was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.

The United States Attorney’s Office for 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. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Related Federal Cases