A routine probation compliance check in Hillsborough County yesterday escalated quickly, ending with the arrest of 42-year-old Robert Neideffer Jr. and a table full of seized weapons and contraband, according to authorities. Deputies say the visit, conducted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office with backup from the Florida Department of Corrections, uncovered multiple firearms, ammunition and other items that felons are firmly barred from having.
What deputies say they found
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and probation agents took Neideffer into custody during the compliance check and then started cataloging what they say they discovered inside.
Investigators report recovering four firearms, 17 rounds of various-caliber ammunition, a bottle of chloroform, several concealed long-bladed weapons and suspected cannabis products. The agency’s post lists a stack of charges: four counts of felon in possession of a firearm, 17 counts of felon in possession of ammunition, two counts of possession of cannabis sativa resin, possession of cannabis less than 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia.
None of that plays well with probation, and it plays even worse with Florida gun laws.
Charges and legal risk
Florida law bars people convicted of a felony from owning or possessing any firearms or ammunition. That prohibition is spelled out in Florida Statute 790.23, and prosecutors have the option to pursue serious prison time when it is violated.
On the drug side, possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis is typically charged as a first-degree misdemeanor under Florida Statute 893.13. Local records show that “cannabis sativa resin” cases can land in more serious territory in Hillsborough County, according to Hillsborough County court calendars.
How to follow the case
Neideffer’s arrest and booking are being processed through the county system, and the case will now move into the usual court pipeline. Booking details and upcoming court dates will be posted as they are entered into official records.
For the most current status, the county’s online lookup tools are the easiest way to keep tabs. Case and custody updates will appear in the Clerk of Court docket and through the Hillsborough County inmate search.
Probation checks turning into gun and drug busts are not exactly rare in the region. Earlier this year, a separate compliance visit in Dover ended with a sprawling haul of weapons and narcotics. For a look at how similar cases can unfold, see Dover Felon Busted.
The Sheriff’s Office post on the Neideffer arrest includes photos of the seized items and notes that anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the agency. For the original statement and full image set, see the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office post.
