Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Lagarius Joseph Johnson, 19, was arrested late last night and charged with six weapon and drug felonies, including possession of a stolen Glock with an attachment that converts it to automatic firing.

Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies reportedly saw Johnson in the Majestic Oaks neighborhood (5800 SW 20th Avenue), fanning out a large amount of cash and showing it to other black males. Deputies received information indicating that Johnson had a firearm; not only is he too young to legally possess a pistol, but he also has multiple juvenile convictions, including possession of a firearm by a minor under 18, that prohibit him from firearm possession until he is 24 years old.

A deputy and a K-9 team approached Johnson and reportedly commanded him to get on the ground; Johnson allegedly reached into his jacket pocket for a gun and fled on foot through the complex. Johnson reportedly had a backpack when deputies made contact with him, and he reportedly dropped it as he ran.

A K-9 was deployed to apprehend Johnson, and Johnson allegedly pulled out a Glock 47 as the K-9 was apprehending him. The Glock was reportedly found about five feet away from Johnson when he was arrested; the firearm had a round in the chamber, an extended magazine with 23 rounds of ammunition, and an accessory that makes the Glock function in a fully automatic fashion. The Glock was reported stolen in Alachua in December 2023.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced $419 in cash. The backpack reportedly contained 38.5 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and multiple baggies.

Johnson has been charged with possession of a machine gun, possession of a firearm by a delinquent under 24 (a juvenile who was previously convicted of a charge that would be a felony for an adult), grand theft of a firearm, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of drug equipment, and resisting an officer without violence.

Johnson has juvenile convictions for burglary of a vehicle, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft, and possession of a firearm by a minor under 18. He has an adult felony conviction (violent) for battering a detention officer and was sentenced to 270 days in jail with adjudication of guilt withheld; another charge for battering a detainee was dropped as part of the plea deal.

Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $145,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.