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Ocala
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ocala man with headlights out caught with drugs and gun in car

Omar Hariff

An Ocala man was caught with heroin, marijuana and a stolen handgun when he was pulled over for driving without his headlights in the fog Thursday morning.

At around 8:08 a.m., a Marion County sheriff’s deputy observed a 2019 black Toyota Camry traveling eastbound around the 9000 block of Maricamp Road without its headlights on during inclement weather (fog). The deputy conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver, 22-year-old Omar Hariff, of 301 Emerald Court Place.

While approaching the vehicle, the deputy detected the odor of marijuana coming from the driver’s-side window. Asked if there were any illegal substances inside the car, Hariff said inside the center console was a bag of marijuana and “Molly.” He also said between the console and the passenger seat there was a concealed firearm that belonged to a friend, according to the sheriff’s office report.

The deputy searched the vehicle and found a green leafy substance in the center console that tested positive for marijuana, along with a silver scale with a green leafy substance residue inside and a clear bag of green pills that tested positive for heroin. The deputy also found the concealed firearm between the center console and passenger seat, the report said.

The firearm was unsecured and readily accessible to the driver. A check of the gun’s serial number revealed it was reported stolen by the Ocala Police Department. Hariff declined to speak with the deputy about the incident after being read his Miranda warning, according to the report.

Hariff was charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit possession of heroin, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug equipment. He was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released later in the day on $6,000 bond. No court information was available.