PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Quinton L. Pete, 35, of Ocala, Florida, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, for Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A federal jury found Pete guilty of all charges related to the incident in August 2023 after a three-day trial. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The investigation and prosecution of violent crime – in this case by an armed repeat offender – is central to our mission to protect the public,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence illustrates our shared resolve to keep our communities safe and the significant consequences associated with such federal crimes of violence.”
The evidence produced at trial revealed that, on March 9, 2022, a few minutes before 4:00 a.m., two employees at Coyote’s Sports Bar on Bayou Blvd. in Pensacola were shot at point blank range by the defendant during an attempted robbery of the business. The victims were not able to identify the shooter at the time because of their wounds, but they provided a general description to law enforcement. Law enforcement obtained surveillance videos from surrounding businesses and noticed a white Jeep Grand Cherokee in the area at the time of the crime. The Pensacola Police Department put out a BOLO (be on the lookout), and the defendant was apprehended the next day in Dallas, Texas, driving a matching white Jeep Grand Cherokee that was registered to him. The defendant was in possession of the firearm that was used in the commission of the robbery, as later identified by ballistics comparison. The defendant’s phone location also placed him in the area at the time he committed the crime. The defendant has prior felony convictions for Burglary of a Dwelling with a Firearm, Grand Theft, and Shooting at within or into a Dwelling, and was released from prison only seven months prior to these offenses. He is also pending other firearm related charges in central Florida.
“This is a huge win for public safety in Northwest Florida,” said Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard of ATF’s Tampa Field Division. “The sentencing decision matches the severity of the crimes, and we’re glad to have contributed our expertise in federal firearm laws to the joint investigation.”
“This case is another excellent example of the collaboration between local, state and federal partners working together to ensure the safety of our community,” said Chief Eric Randall, Pensacola Police. “We will continue to utilize every resource available to ensure our community is safe. This sentence should serve as a reminder there are consequences for your actions.”
Pete’s imprisonment will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of multiple other law enforcement agencies to include the Pensacola Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Grand Prairie Police Department in Dallas, Texas, the United States Marshals, and the Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit. Assistant United States Attorneys David Goldberg and Jessica Etherton prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
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 available 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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.