Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Laron Detron Murphy, 19, has been sentenced to 90 days in jail, followed by two and a half years of probation, after entering a plea of nolo contendere to a charge of possession of a short-barreled shotgun; adjudication of guilt was withheld.

Murphy was arrested on June 10 following an investigation into “The South” gang for firearm-related crimes; a Gainesville Police Department detective reportedly found “numerous” photos and videos of Murphy’s friends holding a shotgun with a sawed-off barrel while visiting Murphy’s home in Lincoln Estates during April. A search warrant was obtained for the home and was served on April 25; the search reportedly produced the same shotgun, and the detective confirmed that its barrel was shorter than the legal length. 

Post Miranda, Murphy reportedly said the shotgun belonged to a friend who brought it to his home in Lincoln Estates sometime in March 2025. He reportedly said he allowed the shotgun to remain at his house and did not tell his friend to take the shotgun back; he also admitted to handling the shotgun at least once around March 2025. When the detective showed Murphy a video of him and his friends in “joint possession” of the shotgun in Murphy’s back yard, Murphy reportedly confirmed it was the same shotgun found during the execution of the search warrant at his house.

Murphy, who has one juvenile conviction, entered a plea of nolo contendere today to one count of possession of a short-barreled shotgun. Judge James Colaw ordered adjudication of guilt withheld and sentenced Murphy to 90 days in the Alachua County Jail with credit for two days served, followed by 30 months of probation. He is prohibited from contact with the other defendants in the case and from possession of any firearms or illegal drugs, and he must submit to random urine tests.