GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In a peculiar twist on an otherwise ordinary night, 29-year-old Stephon Raymond Coney found himself in police custody after a routine bathroom check turned into an unexpected discovery. Authorities caught up with Coney in a University of Florida campus restroom, where they allegedly found a pistol nestled in his backpack, over a pound of marijuana, and another firearm cleverly stashed in a hidden crawl space within the restroom.
The events unfolded around 10:18 p.m. on August 18, when alert officers from the University of Florida Police Department responded to a report at a unisex restroom in Little Hall on Stadium Road. Campus security cameras had alerted dispatchers to Coney’s return to the facility; he’d been spotted earlier in the day in the same vicinity, leading to suspicions that he might be using the restroom as unauthorized accommodation.
According to dispatcher observations, Coney was dressed in gray jeans and a red beanie, and was carrying a backpack as he entered the restroom. These details set the stage for what would soon become an intriguing investigation.
Upon arrival, the officers found the restroom door locked. Coney responded to their calls by asserting he was “on the toilet.” Shortly thereafter, he emerged—but notably sans the backpack and now in different attire, further piquing police curiosity.
Determined to unravel the mystery, officers began their search. Though the backpack was not immediately visible, a quick examination revealed a loose quarter on the floor and a cleverly hidden access panel secured above the toilet. Ingeniously using the quarter, an officer opened the latch, unveiling the concealed crawl space and its contents.
Inside the space, officers found “a large quantity of property,” including multiple backpacks and shoes that matched the ones previously seen on security cameras.
While an officer was removing items from the space, a handgun holster fell on the floor, so officers patted down Coney to make sure he was not armed.
Officers searched the items taken from the space and found a receipt in a backpack with Coney’s name on it, indicating that the backpack belonged to Coney. A Taurus 9mm handgun was reportedly found in the same backpack, along with a “large amount” of marijuana.
Other items in the space reportedly included a Walther .40 caliber handgun, 1.3 pounds of marijuana split between two backpacks, a digital scale, a box of ammunition and assorted loose ammunition, five handgun magazines, a holster, and about 50 bills of Sierra Leone currency.
Post Miranda, Coney reportedly did not claim ownership of any of the items found in the space, despite the receipt with his name on it.
Coney, who is described as homeless in a court document and told Court Services he has been in the area for about two months, has been charged with possession of a firearm on school property, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a college, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He has two misdemeanor convictions (one violent). Judge William Davis set bail at $127,000.
UFPD Police Chief Bart C. Knowles said, “The outcome of this incident is a noteworthy example of vigilance and police work. Our officers and dispatchers were proactively monitoring the area both physically and through surveillance footage after receiving reports of suspicious behavior of an individual. As a result, they were able to approach him when he returned to the area and, ultimately, able to make an arrest.
“We are grateful for those who took the time to report the behavior of this individual and encourage members of our campus community to not hesitate to call police if they see something suspicious or that seems out of place.”