TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Tallahassee man who crashed a car while running from officers early this year has admitted in federal court that he illegally had a handgun.
Etavious J. Milton, 27, pleaded guilty to a charge of being a felon in possession of a gun, federal prosecutors in Tallahassee announced Nov. 12. He entered the plea in federal court rather than state court, where gun cases tied to prior felonies often land. Because of an earlier felony conviction, he was barred from having guns or ammunition.
Court records lay out the night. Around 3 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2026, Milton committed a traffic violation and tried to get away from law enforcement. He barely missed another vehicle before wrecking the car he was driving.
Officers tended to him with paramedics on the way and spotted a black 9mm Beretta handgun at his waistband and secured it. Paramedics then took Milton to a hospital.
The case grew out of what began as a routine stop. A driver who flees from a traffic violation in the middle of the night puts officers, other motorists and himself at risk, and in this case the chase ended only when the car crashed. Federal law flatly bars anyone with a felony record from carrying a gun or ammunition, no matter the circumstances.
No trial date is needed now that the plea is entered. The next step is a presentence review, which federal judges use to weigh a defendant’s record before deciding where a sentence should fall within the range the law allows.
The charge carries a maximum of 15 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker is set to sentence Milton on Jan. 22, 2027, at the federal courthouse in Tallahassee.
Investigators from the Tallahassee Police Department worked the case with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Florida’s Northern District are handling the case in court.
Section: More Tallahassee FL crime news
Filed under: Tallahassee FL Crime News
