TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A federal grand jury has indicted former Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Culpepper, 57, of Havana, Florida, on multiple weapons charges, including possession of machine guns, unregistered firearms, and a silencer, federal prosecutors announced.
Culpepper faces three counts of possession of a machine gun, three counts of possession of an unregistered firearm or short-barrel rifle, and one count of possession of an unmarked silencer. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison on each count.
He appeared for arraignment on September 11, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee. A trial date has been set for November 4, 2025, before U.S. Chief District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The charges follow an investigation led by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric K. Mountin is prosecuting the case.
Federal prosecutors emphasized that an indictment is only an allegation and that Culpepper is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative focused on dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations and combating violent crime.
More information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is available at justice.gov/usao/fln
