A routine check on a convicted felon's probation turned into a much bigger bust in Hollywood, after detectives say they found three pounds of cannabis and a loaded 9mm handgun hidden inside his home. Tavon Jones is now behind bars, facing felony charges that could keep him locked up for a long time.
According to NBC 6 South Florida, detectives assisted probation officers with a search at a residence in the 800 block of North 19th Avenue in Hollywood. What started as a check-in on Jones' probation status turned up a major violation almost immediately.
Three Pounds of Cannabis Found During the Search
Officers discovered three pounds of cannabis inside the home, a quantity that itself constituted a violation of Jones' probation terms, per the outlet's report. That discovery alone was enough to escalate the situation and prompt detectives to dig deeper into what else might be inside the residence.
Detectives then obtained a search warrant, the station's report notes, and that warrant led to an even more serious find: a Ruger RXM 9mm handgun. Because Jones is a convicted felon, possessing a firearm is itself a crime, regardless of how it was acquired or stored.
Florida law treats the firearm allegation and the drug allegation as separate offenses. The state statute makes possessing or controlling a firearm while a convicted felon a second-degree felony, subject to exceptions such as restored firearm rights. Separately, the general law against possessing a controlled substance with intent to sell classifies cannabis cases as third-degree felonies; the allegation remains a charge, not a finding of guilt. Florida’s felon-in-possession statute and drug-offense statute set out those classifications.
Felon-in-Possession and Distribution Charges Filed
Jones is now charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of cannabis with intent to distribute, according to Hollywood police officials cited in the same account. Those two charges reflect both the weapon found under the warrant and the volume of cannabis recovered during the initial probation search.
The reported three pounds also falls well below Florida’s separate cannabis-trafficking threshold: the trafficking statute applies to quantities exceeding 25 pounds, or to 300 or more cannabis plants. That distinction does not rule out a possession-with-intent charge, which is based on alleged intent to sell rather than meeting the trafficking weight threshold. Florida’s trafficking law sets the threshold and mandatory minimum penalties for trafficking convictions.
As of the report, Jones remains booked in jail without bond, meaning he will stay in custody at least until his case moves further through the system. No additional details on a court date, his attorney, or the specifics of his underlying felony conviction have been released.
The new criminal charges and any probation violation are related but distinct matters. Florida law allows a probationer to be arrested when there are reasonable grounds to believe a material probation condition was violated; the case then returns to the court overseeing probation. If the alleged violation is not admitted, the court may hold a further hearing and decide whether to revoke, modify or continue probation. Florida’s probation-violation statute describes that process.
