Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 23-year-old named Keenon Jamal Richardson found himself in custody last night after authorities reportedly discovered a stolen firearm and 21 grams of marijuana during a routine traffic stop.

Back on April 15, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy came across social media posts featuring images of a stolen gun, which were believed to be shared from Richardson’s account. The images displayed a Glock 43X pistol, and the serial number was clearly visible, matching a gun reported stolen on April 12. Additionally, the social media account included pictures of Richardson at the Hidden Oaks Mobile Home Park.

A deputy, while surveilling Hidden Oaks, spotted Richardson entering a black car that soon exited the area. The deputy noted the vehicle was speeding at 53 mph in a 45-mph zone, lacked a functional tag light, and failed to stop at the designated line on 9100 SW 8th Avenue. Around 9:15 p.m., the deputy initiated a traffic stop, identifying Richardson as the front seat passenger.

The deputy reported an “overwhelming” scent of burnt and raw marijuana emanating from the vehicle. The driver admitted to having smoked in the car, and neither he nor Richardson had a medical marijuana prescription. The driver also disclosed that his firearm was stored in the driver’s side door pocket.

During a probable cause search, deputies reportedly found approximately 0.4 grams of loose marijuana flower on Richardson’s side floorboard, along with a tobacco product containing 4.1 grams of raw marijuana in the center console. Behind the driver’s seat, they discovered a bag of raw marijuana weighing 21.2 grams, alongside the stolen Glock pistol, which was loaded with eight rounds and appeared to have been placed hastily with its grip facing forward. A holstered Smith & Wesson handgun was located in the driver’s side door pocket, accompanied by an extra Smith & Wesson magazine in the glove compartment.

Post Miranda, the driver denied knowing anything about the stolen pistol or the marijuana.

Post Miranda, Richardson reportedly denied at first that he knew anything about the marijuana (except for a “blunt”) or the stolen gun and said nothing in the car belonged to him; he also denied posting any recent photos of guns. When the deputy showed Richardson the pictures from his social media account, which reportedly included his “clearly visible face” and the stolen gun, he reportedly changed his story.

Richardson reportedly denied stealing the Glock pistol; he said he had bought it from an unknown person on social media for $300 earlier in the day, and he posted it on social media “to see what he could get for it.” He reportedly admitted bringing the pistol into the car and said it had initially been placed between his seat and the center console.

At the jail, Richardson reportedly provided consent for the deputy to search his phone, and he showed the deputy messages that corroborated his claim that he had purchased the Glock pistol from an unknown person on April 15. Richardson said the seller had told him the firearm was registered in the seller’s name and was brand new, which the deputy said was corroborated by messages between Richardson and his cousin.

The deputy reported that during the search of Richardson’s cell phone, he saw that a video of a bag of raw marijuana had been sent to the driver of the car, along with messages that discussed low-level marijuana transactions. Richardson denied selling any marijuana, but he admitted that he had delivered marijuana to the driver of the car that day, and he reportedly eventually admitted that the bag of marijuana found in the car belonged to him.

The deputy noted that Richardson was arrested in August 2025 for possession of another stolen firearm, but he believed Richardson “probably did not know this Glock was stolen.”

Richardson has been charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, delivering a controlled substance (marijuana), and using a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony. Richardson has a juvenile conviction from 2019 and two traffic convictions; he was arrested in 2024 for aggravated battery of a pregnant victim, but the charges were later dropped, and the 2025 stolen gun case can no longer be found on the court’s website. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $130,000.

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.