Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Barry Anton Scott, 71, who was detained for trespassing on August 8, is now facing eight drug charges after a search warrant at his residence led deputies to a safe containing drugs.

Following Scott’s arrest on August 8 for trespassing, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies obtained a search warrant for his Linton Oaks apartment.

Deputies reportedly discovered a safe on the kitchen counter, with the key placed next to it. Inside the safe, a photo of Scott and a handwritten note saying, “Barry: Use gloves or twizzers [sic] when handling inventory,” were taped.

Inside the safe, deputies reportedly found cash, paperwork in Scott’s name, and the following substances:

• 17.13 grams of crack cocaine;
• 10.49 grams of marijuana, packaged in “dime” baggies;
• 15 pills identified as Buprenorphine;
• 12.51 grams of substituted cathinones (“molly”), some of which was packaged in “dime” baggies;
• 0.76 grams of fentanyl (the report notes the DEA considers 0.2 mg as a potentially lethal dose, meaning this amount potentially contained 350 lethal doses);
• 16 colorful pills in the shape of a dolphin, identified as MDMA (“ecstasy”).

Additionally, deputies allegedly uncovered plastic bags filled with numerous “Brillo” pads, typically used to smoke crack cocaine, numerous “dime” baggies, a digital scale, and several unused “crack” pipes pre-packaged with small Brillo pads.

Deputies reportedly found a large glass jar containing about 481 grams of marijuana in the kitchen pantry.

The report mentions that following Scott’s arrest on August 8, he made several phone calls from jail; during one call, he reportedly informed someone that a search warrant would be carried out at his apartment and referred to a “case” inside it, indicating it contained his “marijuana and stuff.”

In another conversation, Scott reportedly inquired if deputies were still at his apartment and asked if they had taken his safe, noting, “the key was right behind it.” This suggested that Scott validated ownership of the safe and its contents.

Scott is facing charges for maintaining a drug dwelling, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of fentanyl with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of MDMA with intent to sell, possession of substituted cathinones with intent to sell, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to sell.

Scott has three felony convictions. Following his arrest for drug possession in August 2024, the court considered placing him in the Drug Court program, but a Clinical Supervisor wrote that Scott did not qualify because “Conflicting evidence but client’s report is probable and he likely does not have a substance use disorder.” In October 2024, Scott entered a plea of nolo contendere to possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and Judge William Davis sentenced him to two years of drug offender probation. Under the terms of his probation, Scott is not permitted to use alcohol or illegal drugs or even be around anyone who is using those substances. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail on the new charges at $820,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.