EUSTIS MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR SHOOTING AND DAMAGING LAW ENFORCEMENT DRONE

OCALA, FLORIDA — A Eustis man has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after admitting that he shot and damaged a law enforcement drone being used by deputies during an effort to arrest him on a felony warrant.

Justin Tyler Kress, 34, of Eustis, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber for the attempted destruction of an aircraft involving a drone operated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The court also ordered Kress to pay $8,200 in restitution. He pleaded guilty on May 26, 2026.

According to court documents, the incident occurred on March 4, 2025, while deputies were conducting physical surveillance of Kress at his rural, multi-acre property.

Authorities were attempting to arrest Kress on a warrant for felony criminal mischief. Deputies deployed the sheriff’s office drone as part of that operation.

Kress fired at the aircraft and damaged it.

Investigators said Kress had previously told neighbors that he would shoot at law enforcement officers if they attempted to arrest him in connection with damage to nearby fences.

After Kress was taken into custody, deputies obtained a search warrant for the property.

Investigators recovered 20-gauge shotgun shells from the area where Kress had fired at the drone. Inside the residence, deputies located three firearms: a 20-gauge shotgun, a rifle, and a pistol.

Kress ultimately pleaded guilty to the federal offense, moving the case beyond the allegation stage before sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Belkis H. Callaos prosecuted the case.

The prosecution was also brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that coordinates federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors in violent-crime and public-safety cases. DOJ describes the program as emphasizing rapid federal response, strategic law-enforcement partnerships, and accountability through prosecution of serious offenses.

Kress will serve 15 months in federal prison and remains responsible for the $8,200 restitution order imposed as part of his sentence.

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