Drug and firearm charges added to man previously arrested for fatal hit-and-run

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Clovis Dieudonnie McNair, 36, was arrested on March 1 after Gainesville Police Department officers identified him as the suspect who hit a scooter, killing the driver. According to a new arrest report, when McNair surrendered to officers at his residence, he threw his house keys inside and locked the door, preventing officers from entering the residence.

Officers obtained and executed a search warrant for McNair’s residence to collect evidence related to the hit-and-run charge; when they reportedly found drugs and firearms, the search warrant was amended to allow them to collect those items.

A search of McNair’s closet reportedly produced 404.7 grams of cocaine, four electronic scales, a box of disposable gloves, and about 100 baggies. A search of his dresser reportedly produced a loaded .38 caliber Derringer pistol, a Glock .45 caliber handgun with two fully-loaded magazines, a loaded Citadel .45 caliber handgun, and 29 rounds of ammunition of miscellaneous calibers. Items with McNair’s name on them were reportedly found in the same drawer.

The Citadel .45 was reported as stolen out of Taylor County, and the owner of the Derringer told an officer that the firearm was stolen in Duval County, but he never reported it.

Officers determined that McNair used the residence to keep and package illegal narcotics for distribution and charged him with maintaining a drug dwelling, possession of trafficking quantities of cocaine, possession of drug equipment, and four counts of possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon.

McNair has nine felony convictions (none violent) and six misdemeanor convictions (none violent); almost all are for drug charges. He served a state prison sentence for selling cocaine and was released in 2014. Bail was set at $500,000 on the hit-and-run charge, and his attorneys have filed a motion for bond reduction, arguing that he is indigent and unable to post that bond. The hearing on that motion is scheduled for March 28.

Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail on four of the new charges at $750,000 but found that there was no probable cause for three of the counts of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

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.