Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Barry Anton Scott, 71, who was arrested on August 8 for trespassing, is now facing eight drug charges after a search warrant was executed at his home and deputies found a safe full of drugs.

Following Scott’s arrest on August 8 for trespassing, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies obtained a search warrant for his Linton Oaks apartment.

Deputies reportedly found a safe on the kitchen counter, with the key on the counter next to the safe. Taped inside the safe was a photo of Scott, and a handwritten note that said, “Barry: Use gloves or twizzers [sic] when handling inventory” was also taped inside the safe.

Inside the safe, deputies reportedly found cash, paperwork in Scott’s name, and the following substances:

• 17.13 grams of crack cocaine;
• 10.49 grams of marijuana, packaged in “dime” baggies;
• 15 pills identified as Buprenorphine;
• 12.51 grams of substituted cathinones (“molly”), some of which was packaged in “dime” baggies;
• 0.76 grams of fentanyl (the report notes the DEA considers 2 mg as a potentially lethal dose, meaning this amount potentially contained 350 lethal doses);
• 16 colorful pills in the shape of a dolphin, identified as MDMA (“ecstasy”).

Deputies also reportedly found plastic bags containing a large number of “Brillo” pads, commonly used to smoke crack cocaine, a large number of “dime” baggies, a digital scale, and several unused “crack” pipes that were pre-packaged with small Brillo pads.

Deputies reportedly found a large glass jar containing about 481 grams of marijuana in the kitchen pantry.

The report notes that after Scott’s arrest on August 8, he made several phone calls from the jail; in one call, he reportedly told the other person that a search warrant would be executed at his apartment and mentioned a “case” inside the apartment; Scott reportedly said the case contained his “marijuana and stuff.”

In another call, Scott reportedly asked the other person whether deputies were still at his apartment and asked whether deputies had taken his safe, noting that the “key was right behind it.” The report notes that this indicated that Scott claimed ownership of the safe and knew what was inside it.

Scott has been charged with maintaining a drug dwelling, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of fentanyl with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of MDMA with intent to sell, possession of substituted cathinones with intent to sell, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to sell.

Scott has three felony convictions. Following his arrest for drug possession in August 2024, the court considered placing him in the Drug Court program, but a Clinical Supervisor wrote that Scott did not qualify because “Conflicting evidence but client’s report is probable and he likely does not have a substance use disorder.” In October 2024, Scott entered a plea of nolo contendere to possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and Judge William Davis sentenced him to two years of drug offender probation. Under the terms of his probation, Scott is not permitted to use alcohol or illegal drugs or even be around anyone who is using those substances. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail on the new charges at $820,000.

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.