An Ocala man with pro-gun bumper stickers on his pickup truck was charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit during a traffic stop in Belleview on Tuesday.
Jessie Adam Cohen, 45, of 16 Oak Court Pass, was driving on SE Abshier Boulevard in a tan GMC pickup with a bumper sticker that read, “Heavily Armed, Easily Pissed,” along with a bumper sticker of a Glock handgun. A Belleview Police officer observed the truck had its license tag displayed in the back window instead of on the rear bumper, and a records check indicated the tag expired on Dec. 23, 2020, according to the police report.
The truck made a right turn onto SE Highway 484 and then an immediate let turn into the CVS parking lot, where the officer conducted a traffic stop. Cohen provided his driver’s license and explained he was having a rough year and had forgotten to renew his registration. He said he was in pain due to his disability and asked if he could get out of the vehicle, the report said.
The officer asked Cohen if he had any weapons on him or in his vehicle due to his bumper stickers. He initially said no, but then said he had a gun in his pocket that he forgot to remove. Cohen then admitted he doesn’t have a conceal carry permit, according to the report.
Cohen told the officer he would take the gun out and hand it to the officer, but she said she would remove it. Cohen said it was in his right cargo pocket. The officer removed a black Heckler and Koch semi-automatic handgun from Cohen’s right pocket, removed the magazine, which was loaded with four rounds of 9mm ammunition, and cleared one round from the chamber, the report said.
Cohen told the officer he was trying to sell the firearm and forgot he put it in his pocket. He said he applied for a conceal carry permit about four months ago, but he had not yet received it. The officer conducted a records check and found no record of a concealed weapons permit. Cohen said his ex-girlfriend was supposed to mail the check to pay for the permit, but he didn’t know when she did it, according to the report.
Marion County Jail records show Cohen was previously arrested in September 2016 and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He was taken to the jail, where he was released Tuesday night on $2,000 bond. No court information was available.