Staff Report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Derrick Reng Washington, aged 66 and a resident of Alachua, found himself behind bars yesterday after authorities discovered significant amounts of marijuana and fentanyl in his truck. This arrest followed a routine traffic stop.

The incident unfolded on November 5 at approximately 5:55 p.m. when a deputy from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office pulled over Washington’s pickup truck in Phoenix for allegedly running a stop sign. Washington reportedly declined to allow a vehicle search, prompting the use of a Narcotics Detector K-9, which signaled the presence of illegal substances.

Upon conducting a probable cause search, deputies reportedly uncovered “numerous” baggies inside the truck’s cab. Additionally, two traffic cones in the truck bed were found to conceal a plastic bag containing around 1.7 grams of fentanyl and approximately 37.8 grams of marijuana.

As a result, Washington faces charges of possessing fentanyl with the intent to sell, using a vehicle for drug sales, possessing marijuana with intent to distribute, and possessing drug paraphernalia.

Washington’s criminal history includes 12 felony convictions, two of which are violent, and four non-violent misdemeanor convictions. He has served three state prison terms, with his most recent release occurring in 2008.

He is currently in a Veterans Court pre-trial diversion program that began with an arrest for cocaine possession in 2023. The day after entering into the program, which requires him to participate in counseling sessions and submit to urine testing, his urine tested positive for THC and cocaine. Washington reportedly told an official that the cocaine must have entered his system through his hands when he cut up cocaine so he could sell it; he reportedly told a different official that he was cutting up the cocaine for his girlfriend. Although the program was originally supposed to last for 12 months, he has still not completed it, and yesterday’s arrest was reported as a violation of the conditions of that program.

Judge Adam Lee set bail at $100,000.

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.