GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Keenon Jamal Richardson, 23, was arrested early on August 25 after a traffic stop led Alachua County deputies to a stolen firearm under his driver’s seat.
The incident occurred around 3:08 a.m. near Tower Road and W. Newberry Road. Deputies pulled Richardson over for allegedly failing to stop while leaving a gas station. He was the only person in the vehicle, which he did not own.
Authorities say Richardson, who has a juvenile gang history, provided an ID card, and deputies found that his driver’s license had been suspended since 2021. He was also unable to produce registration or insurance for the vehicle.
During the stop, Richardson allegedly gave misleading information about his past criminal history involving firearms and drugs.
The vehicle’s owner granted permission to search the car, leading to the discovery of a loaded revolver under the driver’s seat. The gun had been reported stolen out of Jacksonville. It was found unsecured and positioned for easy access.
After being read his Miranda rights, Richardson claimed the firearm belonged to someone else and that he was unaware it was in the car—though he admitted to having fired it recently. However, the individual Richardson named denied ownership and stated that Richardson had brought the revolver when they went shooting.
The vehicle’s owner also denied any knowledge of the weapon.
Richardson now faces charges of:
Grand theft of a firearm
Unlawfully concealing a firearm
Driving with a suspended license (with prior conviction)
He has a previous juvenile conviction from 2019 and one adult misdemeanor for driving without a license. Judge Meshon Rawls set his bail at $42,000.
