Staff report
HAWTHORNE, Fla. – An 18-year-old Hawthorne man, Latrelvious Jahmar Strickland, is facing four felony charges after Alachua County deputies said a traffic stop led to the discovery of more than 60 grams of marijuana and a firearm with its serial number removed.
The stop happened at about 3:05 p.m. on August 27 near 6900 SE U.S. Highway 301. According to the deputy, Strickland was pulled over after allegedly failing to stop behind a stop sign or stop line and making a wide turn while other vehicles were on the busy highway.
During the stop, Strickland reportedly told the deputy he had a learner’s permit but did not have it with him. Because the only passenger in the vehicle was a 16-year-old, the deputy concluded Strickland was violating learner’s permit restrictions. The deputy also noted that Strickland appeared extremely nervous.
The deputy reported smelling a strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from both Strickland and the vehicle. Strickland allegedly said he had smoked marijuana about an hour before getting behind the wheel, adding that he did not have a medical marijuana card and did not currently possess any marijuana.
The juvenile passenger reportedly told deputies he had not smoked marijuana and had just been picked up from school.
Citing the odor of marijuana, deputies conducted a probable-cause search of the vehicle. They reportedly found a handgun with a missing serial number, a realistic AR-15-style air rifle without an orange tip, about 3.6 grams of tobacco mixed with marijuana, a larger bag of marijuana weighing about 55.1 grams, and a digital scale.
As deputies escorted the juvenile to a patrol vehicle, a bag containing approximately 6.1 grams of marijuana reportedly fell from his pants.
Post Miranda, the juvenile reportedly said nothing in the vehicle was his except for his backpack, which only contained school supplies. He said he believed the air rifle belonged to Strickland’s sister, the large bag of marijuana belonged to Strickland, and when they were pulled over, Strickland told him to conceal the small bag of marijuana, which had been loose in the vehicle. He said he didn’t tell deputies about the marijuana in his pants because he was scared.
The juvenile was released.
Post Miranda, Strickland reportedly admitted to driving in violation of learner permit restrictions and said he knew he would be charged with the items found in the vehicle. However, he denied knowing anything about any of those items and said they were not his, specifically including the large bag of marijuana, the scale, and the handgun. He denied selling drugs or telling the juvenile to hide the small bag of marijuana.
Strickland reportedly said that it was the first time he had driven the vehicle, which belongs to a friend’s mother, but a relative of Strickland came to the scene and reportedly said it was Strickland’s everyday vehicle. When the deputy asked Strickland about that, he reportedly said he had misunderstood the deputy’s question and meant it was the first time he had driven it that day; he acknowledged driving the vehicle regularly.
Strickland has been charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a convenience store (the Chevron gas station), possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, tampering with evidence, possession of an altered firearm, possession of drug equipment, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Strickland’s full criminal history is unavailable because those documents are not posted when an offense includes a juvenile, but he has no adult local criminal history. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $165,000.
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.
