PALATKA, Fla. – A traffic stop Sunday in Palatka yielded the arrest of a convicted felon from Jacksonville who had guns and drugs in his car, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said.
Cleophus McCaskill, 49, is charged with six counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a violent career criminal, one count possession of an altered firearm, two counts possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, one count of possession of marijuana with intent to sell, one count possession of a vehicle known to sell drugs, one count of drug equipment possession and one count possession of a new legend drug without a prescription.
McCaskill was released from prison in 2007 after serving 14 years for an attempted murder conviction in Duval County, according to Florida Department of Corrections records.
According to the Sheriff's Office, McCaskill was pulled over Sunday afternoon on East Oak Street near U.S. Highway 17 for having the wrong tag on his Chevrolet Impala and deputies searched the vehicle after one of the deputies noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from it.
During the search, according to the Sheriff's Office, deputies found three guns -- an AK-47, a .357 pistol and a .38 pistol -- with ammunition. Deputies noted serial numbers were scratched off one of the firearms.
Deputies said they also found methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and Viagra sildenafil citrate pills, which is a controlled substance for which McCaskill did not have a prescription.
McCaskill was taken to the Putnam County Jail, where he remained Monday evening on $109,000 bond, online jail records show.
The Sheriff's Office said McCaskill's wife, a passenger in the vehicle who is a teacher in Duval County, told deputies she knew of the AK-47 in the vehicle and the marijuana.
Deputies said they told her that she would be cited with misdemeanor possession of marijuana for a marijuana cigarette that was found in her purse.
Ariel Sims told News4Jax on Monday that the Jacksonville couple just moved out of her neighborhood two weeks ago.
“My husband went fishing with them before," Sims said. "It just goes to show that you kind of never know who's your neighbor.”
News4Jax contacted family members, but they did not wish to comment.