TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Tallahassee man convicted of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute was sentenced to five years in federal prison, according to federal prosecutors.
Kelveont’a Lamar Dennis, 32, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor to five years in federal prison following his conviction at a jury trial on May 22, 2026. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Evidence at trial and court documents showed Dennis was routinely selling drugs and possessing firearms, despite being a convicted felon who was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Law enforcement executed a federal search warrant and seized electronic evidence. A jury found Dennis guilty of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it.
Dennis’ previous convictions included carjacking, false imprisonment, two instances of possession of a controlled substance, possession of firearm by a convicted felon, and felony battery. He had previously served prison sentences of 48 months, 12 years, and 394 days.
“My office continues to deliver successful prosecutions of targets of the Homeland Security Task Force, which is fighting to eradicate the criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations flooding our streets with drugs and violence,” Heekin said. “Our HSTF partners are committed to delivering the safe, drug-free streets our citizens deserve, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to fulfill that promise in the Northern District of Florida.”
“This recidivist criminal routinely shows a complete contempt for the law,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingengo. “This kind of behavior cannot be allowed to poison our communities. HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continually work to hold these criminals accountable.”
Dennis’ five-year federal prison sentence will be followed by 20 years on supervised release.
The case involved an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Tallahassee Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, DHS Customs and Border Protection, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
Federal officials said the prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” a multiagency effort aimed at eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.