JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two men have been arrested during an investigation in which detectives located and seized 45 firearms, 22 semi-automatic handguns, 15 rifles, five shotguns and three revolvers, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Thursday.
A search warrant obtained by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit, served Tuesday, Aug. 8, on Detroit Street in the Woodstock area of Jacksonville, led to the arrests of Jacari L. O’Neal, 22, and Dakari J. Robertson, 29.
Narcotic detectives searched the residence and located dozens of firearms and illegal drugs.
“Multiple pistols were fitted with extended magazines. Several of these rifles and shotguns were sawed off and/or had stocks removed,”
Waters said 10 of the 45 firearms had been reported stolen locally. One was reportedly stolen out of Clay County, two others from out of state, and one of which was stolen from a state trooper in Missouri, Waters said.
Additionally, a variety of firearm components were seized including eight drum magazines, 28 free-standing magazines, two illegal glock switches, and a large assortment of ammunition.
“This house was a verifiable arsenal of guns, crime guns,” Waters said.
JSO firearms experts confirmed that nine firearms were crime guns from past incidents of gun violence in Jacksonville.
One 40-caliber firearm was confirmed to have been used in a March 2021 shooting into an occupied residence. One nine-millimeter firearm was confirmed to have been used in a May 2022 assault in Waycross, Georgia. Another was used in a January 2023 robbery. Another was used in a 2023 shooting that injured one person.
Sheriff Waters said multiple other guns were used in shootings that resulted in multiple people being injured. He said the guns were used in four separate violent crimes.
A variety of narcotics were seized in the home including powder cocaine, crack cocaine, MDMA pills, crystal meth and marijuana. Scales, glass jars, bags, cash, and more were also seized.
The residence was being used to store, manufacture and distribute drugs, Waters said.
Robertson — who has already served three years in Florida State Prison on a felony gun charge — was arrested on many serious felony charges including possession of firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a short-barreled rifle, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of a machine gun, armed trafficking and MDMA, armed sale of marijuana, armed possession of marijuana with the intent to sell, sale of cocaine, sale of marijuana, unlawful use of a two-way communication device,
O’Neal was also arrested on a variety of felony charges including armed trafficking of cocaine, two counts of armed trafficking of MDMA, trafficking in MDMA, armed sale of cocaine, sale of cocaine, sale of marijuana, armed possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, our possession of cocaine with intent to sell, and armed possession of marijuana with the intent to sell.
“Those are 45 guns that can not be used to kill or injure Jacksonville citizens in the future,” Waters said. “We will never be able to quantify the violence in our streets and the drugs. But the question of gun violence has been prevented and precious lives have been saved or their seizure.”