Tallahassee, Florida – 11/5/26 – Yasir Jaimon Za’Quis Hawkins, 20, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal possession of a machine gun, possession of Postal Service key, and possession of stolen mail. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I commend the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for their excellent work, with support from our federal law enforcement partners, to catch this dangerous criminal and recover the funds stolen from dozens of victims. Now, thanks to the aggressive prosecution by my office, he will find himself behind federal bars where he belongs.”
Court documents reflect that on May 7, 2026, local law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence after the defendant posted numerous images of himself on social media with a firearm equipped with a machine gun conversion device. The machine gun conversion device was found during the search.
Additionally, law enforcement discovered fifty-three stolen checks and money orders in the defendant’s bedroom, along with a Postal arrow key. The checks and money orders totaled approximately $25,000 in stolen funds and originated from at least forty different victims.
Hawkins faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a machine gun count; up to 10 years’ imprisonment on the possession of Postal Service key count; and up to five years’ imprisonment on the possession of stolen mail count.
This case was jointly investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Emma Schwan is prosecuting the case.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 25, 2027, at 3:00pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.