OCALA — A 46-year-old Ocala man pleaded guilty to federal possession with intent to distribute charges after agents recovered more than 1,000 grams of cocaine, 173 grams of fentanyl and other drugs from his residence — some of it buried in an ammunition can in his backyard, United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced.
Jimmy Deon Lofton faces a minimum penalty of 5 years and up to 40 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team executed a search warrant on Lofton’s residence on July 1, 2025. Agents located 173 grams of fentanyl, 31 grams of methamphetamine, 260 grams of MDMA and over 1,000 grams of cocaine. Some of the substances were buried in an ammunition can in the backyard of the home.
Agents also obtained a search warrant for a home security DVR system Lofton had installed at the residence. The DVR footage revealed numerous videos of Lofton packaging and dealing controlled substances at the home — effectively building the prosecution’s case with the defendant’s own surveillance equipment.
The case was investigated by UDEST and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg is prosecuting the case in the Middle District of Florida.
Federal prosecutors identified the case as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protecting communities from violent crime and drug trafficking. Fentanyl remains the leading driver of overdose deaths in Marion County and across Florida, and federal authorities have increasingly pursued distribution cases carrying mandatory minimum sentences to target mid-level dealers.
Lofton’s sentencing will be scheduled before a federal judge in Ocala.