A routine traffic stop by Hernando County Sheriff's Office Vice and Narcotics Unit led to the arrest of a Brooksville man on multiple felony charges. According to a Facebook post by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, detectives pulled over a swerving Dodge pickup truck near Cortez Boulevard and McKethan Road last Friday.
During the stop, a search waiver was signed by the driver, leading to the discovery of firearms, ammunition, drugs, and paraphernalia in bags belonging to backseat passenger Robert Saxe, born April 25, 1978. A criminal history check of Saxe showed a previous felony conviction for possession of a firearm by felon and felon in possession of ammunition in 2010. The search also uncovered an active Hernando County warrant for fleeing to elude law enforcement and knowingly driving with a suspended or revoked license, alongside an active Hernando County Capias for failure to appear on the the original charge of knowingly driving while license suspended or revoked.
Upon further inspection of Saxe's bags, authorities found a loaded 9mm Ruger handgun, a loaded .380 Taurus handgun, additional ammunition of various calibers, 38 blue pills identified as Alprazolam—a controlled substance—7 grams of marijuana, a grinder, and a digital scale. More .380 rounds were found on Saxe’s person during a subsequent search. A review through the Office of Executive Clemency confirmed that Saxe's rights have not been restored since his prior convictions.
Following these findings, Saxe was arrested on charges including possession of a controlled substance (Alprazolam), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of cannabis under 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also taken into custody on his active warrants and transported to the Hernando County Detention Center, where he was held on a no-bond status due to the felon in possession of firearm and ammunition charges. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office reiterated its commitment to public safety and its ongoing efforts to target illegal activities within the community.
