Man arrested for cocaine possession, trespassing, and petit theft just 11 days after release from jail

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Darnell Ramon Sylvester, 27, was arrested yesterday and charged with petit theft, two counts of trespass after warning, cocaine possession, tampering with evidence, and resisting arrest. He was released from jail sometime after July 11 after the resolution of charges against him in four cases.

At about 3:30 p.m. yesterday, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a report that a man had taken a can of beer from the Food Max at 1304 E. University Avenue. The officer reported that the man, identified as Sylvester, had been trespassed from the store on July 18.

A different officer found Sylvester at about 4:45 p.m. at the 8th Avenue Food Store, where he has been trespassed indefinitely; he was convicted of trespass after warning at that store on July 11, based on a sworn complaint from a May 11 incident.

When the officer tried to handcuff Sylvester, he allegedly pulled away and tried to run on foot; he was reportedly taken to the ground by two officers and allegedly continued to resist being handcuffed even after he was taken to the ground.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced three small white rocks in Sylvester’s pocket that tested positive for cocaine. One of the rocks reportedly fell to the ground, and Sylvester allegedly crushed the rock and rubbed the powder into the concrete with his shoe. The remaining two rocks reportedly weighed 2.1 grams.

Post Miranda, Sylvester reportedly said he didn’t know what the rocks were but believed they were “crack.” However, he later reportedly said the drugs were not his and that officers planted them on him. He also reportedly denied being trespassed from the 8th Avenue Food Store.

Sylvester was sentenced to a year of probation in December 2022 for domestic battery and three counts of indecent exposure. He failed to report to his probation officer in April 2023 and failed to get a required psychosexual evaluation, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arrested on May 18 for robbery by sudden snatching and held without bond for probation violation and the May 11 trespassing complaint. A psychological evaluation was ordered in the robbery case, but the charges were later dropped with no indication of the results of the evaluation. On July 11, Sylvester was sentenced to court costs and time served on all of the remaining cases and released with probation unsuccessfully terminated.

Bail information is unavailable on weekends.

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.