Lake City man sentenced to 90 days in jail for carrying a gun as a convicted felon

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Dejhan Malik Baker, 21, of Lake City, has been sentenced to 90 days in the Alachua County Jail after entering a plea of nolo contendere to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

A Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a call on February 20, 2023, about a suspicious person behind Mother’s Pub and Grill, near 1200 SW 1st Avenue, at about 1:30 a.m. A witness said a person was standing around for about 45 minutes and selling narcotics; the officer called for backup, and while he waited, the witness said the suspicious person had left because of the police presence.

When backup arrived, the officer began patrolling the area and saw Baker, who did not match the description of the suspicious person. However, as officers approached, Baker allegedly reached for his waistband, and when officers shined flashlights on him, he dropped a 9mm pistol in a holster to the ground. Baker reached for the firearm but was told not to pick it up, and then he allegedly ran.

Baker was apprehended after a foot chase and placed under arrest. After the officer checked his identity, he learned that Baker is a convicted felon who was released from state prison on January 26 after serving an 18-month prison sentence for willful child abuse and that he also has a Protection Order stating that he cannot possess a firearm.

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Baker was initially charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by a person subject to an injunction, and resisting arrest without violence. He was later officially charged only with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Baker has a juvenile history and one adult felony conviction. His plea deal resulted in a 90-day sentence and payment of $100 in court costs. The statutory maximum sentence for the charge is 15 years.

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