Convicted felon charged with possession of over 3 pounds of marijuana, accused of selling it within 1,000 feet of Santa Fe College

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tavion Amari Parker, 22, who was released from prison in September, was arrested yesterday and charged with selling marijuana within 1,000 feet of Santa Fe College, along with four other drug-related felonies.

At about 1:41 p.m. on January 2, Alachua County Sheriff’s (ASO) Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Parker for failing to stop at the stop bar while exiting Santa Fe Oaks Apartments (NW 31st Avenue and NW 83rd Street); deputies also noted that the tint appeared to be darker than the legal limit.

A K-9 team responded to the scene and alerted on illegal narcotics in the vehicle; deputies also reported a “strong odor of unburnt marijuana” coming from inside the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle reportedly produced seven baggies of marijuana with a total weight of 197.9 grams, packaged in one-ounce quantities; a heat-sealing device was also reportedly found in the vehicle.

Post Miranda, Parker reportedly claimed ownership of all of the marijuana.

Parker was already the subject of an investigation at the time of his arrest, and an ASO deputy had obtained a search warrant for the contents of his Instagram account. On December 23, the deputy reportedly found several direct messages and Instagram stories providing evidence that Parker was actively selling marijuana and oxycodone from his apartment at Santa Fe Oaks Apartments.

After the arrest on January 2, deputies obtained a search warrant for Parker’s apartment, and they conducted the search at about 4:21 p.m. that day. The search reportedly produced about 3.2 pounds of marijuana, pre-packaged in various weights and “ready for quick distribution,” along with a digital scale.

Parker’s apartment is a little over 500 feet from Santa Fe College.

Post Miranda after the additional charges were added, Parker reportedly claimed ownership of all of the marijuana inside the apartment and said he intended to sell it. He also reportedly identified a phone in his possession as the phone he used to arrange sales of narcotics.

Parker has been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a college, maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of selling drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia with the intention of selling drugs, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Parker has two adult felony convictions (one violent), and when he was arrested in 2022 for shooting at someone, he was on juvenile probation following adjudication for robbery by sudden snatching, multiple counts of vehicle burglary, armed burglary, grand theft of a firearm, grand theft, and burglary. He eventually entered a plea of nolo contendere to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent and was sentenced to four years in state prison; he was released in September 2025.

Judge Phillip Pena set bail at $165,000 on the new charges.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.