Convicted felon charged with possessing a firearm and drugs

An Islamorada man who is a convicted felon was arrested Sunday night for possessing a firearm and drugs.

Sheriff’s dispatchers received a call at 8 p.m. of a suspicious person on South Ocean Shores Drive in Key Largo. The caller said a man in a car was seen dumping a firearm and bullets out of the vehicle and onto the street and then leaving the area. As deputies were responding, dispatchers received another call that the vehicle had returned and picked up the firearm and bullets.

Once Deputy Titus Hodges and Sgt. Sheila Seago arrived in the area, they were flagged down by a witness who said the vehicle had turned onto Ocean Way. A vehicle matching the description given by the witness was found, with two men inside, parked at the end of the street.

Deputy Gil Gonzalez arrived to assist. He made contact with the driver, 26 year old Derek Williams of Islamorada, who admitted there was a gun in the car in a side pocket next to the center console. He told deputies he is a convicted felon and knows he is not allowed to have a firearm. There was a strong odor of burnt marijuana in the vehicle. Williams was found to have marijuana in his pocket and more marijuana was found in the vehicle. Two pills later identified as Alprazolam were found in the ashtray of the car and there were also several items of drug paraphernalia in the car.

Williams was arrested. He was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana, a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He was booked into the Plantation Key Jail.

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