Pensacola Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Meth and Firearm Charges
PENSACOLA, FL. – Geoffery Bartee Dale, 38, of Pensacola, FL., was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the outstanding work of our local and federal law enforcement partners, this drug trafficker’s scheme has been dismantled, and he’ll spend the next 15 years in federal prison. The Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America initiative was launched to target and eliminate drug trafficking operations like this one that have flooded our communities with deadly poison and threatened the health and safety of our residents. My office will continue to deliver successful prosecutions like this one to keep violent drug traffickers in prison where they belong and give our residents the safe and drug-free streets they deserve.”
According to court records, in February and March of 2024, the defendant was a target of a joint law enforcement investigation. On March 8, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s Pensacola residence, during which investigators located over 3,100 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a large amount of marijuana, four firearms, ammunition, over $129,000 in United States currency, and other drug distribution related items. Law enforcement also obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s storage unit, where they found more than 4,400 grams of methamphetamine, a large amount of marijuana, three firearms, and ammunition. The defendant has two prior felony convictions.
“This amount of methamphetamine represents a public health threat capable of impacting an entire region,” said DEA Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar. “Getting this trafficker off the streets will make communities safer and get the State of Florida closer to being Fentanyl and Methamphetamine free.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Pensacola Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, 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.
