Gainesville man charged with 14 felonies for pointing gun at relative and possessing trafficking quantities of drugs

Staff report

Updated on August 27 with pre-trial detention information.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Nathaniel Carter III, 43, was arrested yesterday and charged with 14 felonies and a misdemeanor after allegedly pointing a gun at a relative and throwing a bag containing trafficking quantities of drugs over a fence.

At about 4 p.m. on August 19, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call about an armed disturbance at a residence in Linton Oaks (6100 block of SW 11th Place) and spoke with the victim, who said Carter had accused her of taking money that was missing from the residence. She said she and Carter argued and he approached her in a threatening manner, so she started recording the incident on her phone. She said Carter picked up a tan handgun, started waving it around, and threatened to shoot her if she did not produce the money.

The victim said she picked up a kitchen knife to defend herself, called 911, and went outside to wait for deputies. She showed deputies her video of the incident, which reportedly shows Carter holding a tan handgun while waving it around and threatening to shoot the victim.

Deputies received consent to search the residence and reportedly found a small bag that had been thrown over a fence on the east side of the residence.

A search of the bag reportedly produced:

• A tan Taurus G3 9mm pistol, loaded with 15 rounds;
• 34 “apple-seed” baggies containing a substance that tested positive for fentanyl, with a total weight of about 12 grams — three times Florida’s trafficking threshold for fentanyl;
• A large bag containing “numerous” pills identified as Xanax, with a total weight of about 10.5 grams;
• A bag containing eight oxycodone hydrochloride pills, with a total weight of about 1.7 grams;
• A bag containing “numerous” pills that appeared to be MDMA/ecstasy and tested positive as meth/amphetamine, with a total weight of about 25.2 grams, above Florida’s trafficking threshold for meth/amphetamine;
• A bag labeled “Candy Hulk” containing about 45.4 grams of marijuana;
• Four “apple-seed” baggies of marijuana, with a total weight of about 3 grams;
• A digital scale;
• Several hundred “apple-seed” baggies;
• A razor blade.

A deputy noted that the “large quantity and variety of drugs, coupled with the scale, cutting razor, and hundreds of empty plastic bags, as well as the dozens of individually packaged baggies, were all strong indicators of street-level drug sales.” The pistol, which looked exactly like the one in the video provided by the victim, linked Carter to the drugs that were found in the same bag.

Post Miranda, Carter, who is a convicted felon, denied possessing a firearm, even after he was shown the video; he also denied threatening the victim. He said the victim had threatened him with a knife, but he did not want to press charges; however, he later reportedly contradicted himself and said the victim never threatened him with a knife. He reportedly admitted to selling drugs to make money so he could afford a glucose monitor, but he later denied knowing anything about the drugs.

Carter has been charged with possession of trafficking quantities of fentanyl, possession of trafficking quantities of meth/amphetamine, two counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession with intent to sell marijuana, possession with intent to sell fentanyl, possession with intent to sell meth/amphetamine, possession with intent to sell oxycodone, possession with intent to sell alprazolam (Xanax), possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, tampering with evidence, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to transport drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Carter has one state felony conviction (non-violent) and five state misdemeanor convictions (two violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2019. He also has a federal criminal history spanning 2004-2016, including a prison sentence for selling cocaine. Judge William Davis ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial; on August 27, Judge Susanne Wilson Bullard granted the motion and ordered him held without bail until trial.

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.