Department of Justice

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Kristofferson Farmer, Jr. (22, Lake City) with possessing with the intent to distribute alpha-PVP (a.k.a. flakka) and fentanyl, both controlled substances. Additionally, he was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of those drug trafficking offenses. Farmer, a previously convicted felon, is also charged with possessing two Glock pistols and an AR-15 rifle after being convicted of offenses in Columbia County in 2018. If convicted, Farmer faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This investigation began with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office’s Task Force, and the case was then further investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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.