A Jacksonville firefighter is off the job after an undercover narcotics operation ended with his arrest on crack-cocaine charges. Investigators say he sold the drug to an undercover officer, and the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department has pulled him from duty while criminal and internal investigations play out.
Arrest and booking
Booking records show La Tavior Dejuan Stephens, 43, was taken into custody on July 9 and entered into the Duval County jail system the same day. The online jail roster reflects the July 9 booking, and local booking listings captured the new entry. RecentlyBooked lists a July 9 entry for Stephens.
What the arrest report alleges
According to First Coast News, the arrest report identifies Stephens as an engineer assigned to Station 27 and alleges he carried out multiple crack-cocaine sales to an undercover narcotics officer in September 2023, both in downtown Jacksonville and in Springfield. The report says he was charged with selling crack within 1,000 feet of a park and a church and notes prior narcotics-related arrests in 2011 and 2012. The arrest record indicates Stephens was released on bond on July 11.
Background
Public business and property filings connect Stephens to Jacksonville beyond his firehouse assignment. Records list a Latavior Dejuan Stephens tied to local business names and to a property in East Jacksonville, reflecting ties to neighborhoods where he worked and lived. Homes.com lists a Latavior Dejuan Stephens as the recorded owner of a Milnor Street property.
Legal stakes
Florida law allows for tougher penalties when controlled substances are sold in designated "drug-free" areas such as schools, parks, and places of worship, which is why the "within 1,000 feet" language often appears in charging documents. The Florida Bar outlines jury instructions related to those statutes and how prosecutors may present the enhanced counts to a jury.
What's next
Stephens' case is now moving through the Duval County criminal courts while the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department conducts its own employment review. The agency has suspended him without pay, officials said. Upcoming court dates and new filings will mark the next public steps, and agency and arrest records will carry the latest updates. As reported by First Coast News, the department confirmed both the suspension and the bond release.
