JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters announced the arrest of two men during a press conference on Thursday for possessing some stolen firearms, possessing "firearm components" and for having illegal drugs.
Waters says Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detectives executed a search warrant at a residence on Detroit Street in the Woodstock area of Jacksonville on Aug. 8 and seized 45 firearms including 22 semi-automatic handguns, 15 rifles, five shotguns and three revolvers. The sheriff says "multiple pistols were fitted with extended magazines and several of these rifles and shotguns were sawed off and/or had stocks removed."
22-year-old Jacari L. O'Neal and 29-year-old Dakarai J. Robertson were arrested in connection to the firearms and illegal drugs that were seized.
10 firearms were stolen locally, according to Waters, including one from Clay County; two guns were stolen out-of-state, including one from a state trooper in Missouri.
Waters says the firearm components seized include: eight drum magazines, 28 free-standing magazines, two illegal Glock switches and a large assortment of ammunition. He says the residence was a "verifiable arsenal of guns, crime guns."
Waters says nine of the "tested guns" by JSO detectives were confirmed as crime guns from past incidents of gun violence in Jacksonville. Here's a list of past incidents in which the nine tested guns were used in:
- One .40 caliber firearm was used in a March 2021 shooting into an occupied dwelling
- One 9mm firearm was used in a May 2022 assault in Waycross, Georgia
- One .40 caliber firearm was used in a January 2023 armed robbery
- One 9mm firearm was used in a December 2023 shooting in which an individual was injured
- One .40 caliber firearm was used in a July 2020 shooting into a dwelling and in a Sept. 2020 shooting in which an individual was injured
- One 9mm firearm was used in a July 2021 shooting in which an individual was injured
- One 9mm firearm was used in a September 2022 attempted murder in which multiple individuals were injured and in an October 2022 shooting into an occupied dwelling
- One .40 caliber firearm was used in a July 2019 armed robbery, an August 2019 shooting in which an individual was injured, another August 2019 shooting in which another individual was injured and in a September 2021 attempted murder in which multiple individuals were shot
Waters says in addition to the firearms seized, JSO narcotic detectives also found powder cocaine, crack cocaine, MDMA pills, crystal meth, marijuana, manufacturing and paraphernalia scales with evidence of drug residue, glass jars with evidence of drug residue, several bags of drug residue, $5,849 in cash and a book ledger from Robertson. He says the residence that was searched was "not only being used to store drugs, but also for narcotics manufacturing and distribution."
Waters says Robertson was previously arrested and charged with multiple felony charges including possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, possessing a short barrel rifle, possessing a short barrel shotgun, possessing a machine gun, armed trafficking of MDMA, armed sale of marijuana, armed possession of marijuana with intent to sell, sale of cocaine, sale of marijuana and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Waters says O'Neal has also had past run-ins with the law as he was previously arrested and charged with armed trafficking cocaine, two counts of armed trafficking of MDMA, trafficking an MDMA, armed sale of cocaine, sale of cocaine, sale of marijuana, armed possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, armed possession of cocaine with intent to sell and armed possession of marijuana with intent to sell.
The sheriff stated that Robertson and O'Neal will be prosecuted by the State Attorney's Office.