A 43-year-old Gainesville man is facing up to 15 years in federal prison after a grand jury indicted him on a firearm charge.
Terry Lajace Lee was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to an announcement by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Lee recently made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry at the federal courthouse in Gainesville. His trial has been scheduled for July 22, 2026, and will be overseen by Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Gainesville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting the case.
Authorities stated that this prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America. The Department of Justice describes the program as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
Under federal law, an indictment is strictly an allegation by a grand jury that a person committed a crime and cannot be used as evidence of guilt. Lee, like all criminal defendants, is presumed innocent unless the government proves his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt during a fair trial.
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