Staff Report

NEWBERRY, Fla. – Authorities apprehended 23-year-old Darius Dwayne Stackhouse, Jr. yesterday on charges of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute. Already on probation, Stackhouse also faces accusations stemming from an October 19 traffic stop involving drug and marijuana possession.

At approximately 4:37 p.m. on October 30, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle after noticing its occupants were not wearing seatbelts. The deputy detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from both Stackhouse and the vehicle. Despite this, Stackhouse reportedly denied permission for a search of the car.

However, a K-9 unit indicated the presence of contraband, leading to a probable cause search. Officers allegedly discovered 45 grams of marijuana, a scale, and five Buprenorphine strips—a controlled substance—inside the vehicle.

Following a Miranda warning, Stackhouse reportedly chose not to respond to any inquiries. He now faces charges of possessing more than 20 grams of marijuana, intending to sell marijuana, possessing a controlled substance without a prescription, and violating probation.

A different deputy conducted a traffic stop on the same vehicle at about 10:08 a.m. on October 19 for a stop bar violation. That deputy described Stackhouse as a “known drug dealer” and a convicted felon who is on probation for selling marijuana. While on probation, he is prohibited from possessing alcohol or illegal drugs.

The deputy reported the odor of unburnt marijuana coming from the vehicle, and when asked if he had any marijuana, Stackhouse reportedly said there was a small “roach” in the driver’s side door. The deputy noted that Stackhouse has a medical marijuana card, but the marijuana was not in the proper packaging. A probable cause search reportedly produced about 0.3 grams of unburnt marijuana in the driver’s side door and a pill bottle with 11 pills of dextroamphetamine that were not prescribed to Stackhouse.

The deputy charged Stackhouse via sworn complaint with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and violation of probation. Stackhouse has not been booked on those charges.

Stackhouse has juvenile convictions between 2015 and 2020, two adult felony convictions (non-violent), and five adult misdemeanor convictions (non-violent). He has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2022. He is on probation for selling marijuana and is facing the charges from the October 19 incident.

Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail until the probation violation case is resolved, and she set bail of $85,000 on the new charges.

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.