A quick stop in a handicapped parking spot at an Ocala minimart landed two men in jail Friday on a multitude of charges.
As an Ocala Police officer approached the vehicle in front of the RaceTrac at 3040 S Pine Ave., he could smell a strong odor of marijuana. The vehicle’s driver, 27-year-old Romel Donte King, of Ocala, told the officer he only parked in the handicapped spot “for a moment to finish a transaction inside,” a police report states.
Due to the strong odor of marijuana, the officer had King hand him the keys to his vehicle. He did so and when asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, he handed over a box of “Stoney Gummies” and asked if he could make a phone call.
A short time later, 29-year-old Davonta Reshard Gordon, also of Ocala, exited the RaceTrac and King attempted to hand him a bag of food, a bag of what appeared to contain drink bottles and other items that were “wadded” together. The officer looked into the bag of bottles and found a “large wad” of cash, the report says.
King attempted to flee from the officer but was quickly apprehended. Gordon got into another vehicle that was leaving the parking lot. That vehicle was located later and Gordon, a convicted felon, had a firearm, suspected crack cocaine, suspected marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.
In King’s vehicle, officers found more cash, multiple assorted THC gummies, a digital scale with residue consistent with marijuana, prescription pills and a bank card that didn’t belong to King.
Both King and Gordon were arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail. King was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, resisting an officer without violence and possession of drug equipment. He was released early Saturday morning on $4,000 bond and his next court date hasn’t yet been set, jail records show.
Gordon was charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (cocaine), possession of marijuana less than 20 grams, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and burglary of a dwelling with battery. He was being held on no bond on the burglary charge and $15,000 on the remaining charges. He’s due in court June 16 at 9 a.m. to answer to the charges.