TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A 53-year-old Tallahassee man is facing federal drug and gun charges after a grand jury indictment announced Friday, Sept. 18, 2026.
Marcello Hinojosa, 53, of Tallahassee was indicted in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, according to John P. Heekin, the United States attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Hinojosa made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee. Trial is scheduled for Sept. 28, 2026, in Tallahassee before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
If convicted, Hinojosa faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and up to life in prison on the possession with intent to distribute count; up to 15 years in prison on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count; and no less than five years consecutive to any other sentence on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense count.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tallahassee Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
An indictment is an allegation by a grand jury and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, and prosecutors must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on illegal immigration, cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime.