Pair arrested for maintaining a drug dwelling after reporting home invasion robbery
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – John Edward Dane Roberts, Jr., 31, and Maliah True-Blanchard, 31, were arrested yesterday and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and maintaining a drug dwelling after they reported a home invasion robbery.
Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the couple’s home on August 24 after they reported a home invasion robbery in which the suspect struck a man in the head with a firearm before fleeing. The victim said he fired multiple rounds at the suspect as he fled down the driveway.
Detectives told the couple that they wanted to collect evidence in the interior of the residence, and the residents reportedly said they needed to put their dogs away but did not otherwise object. Deputies reportedly found 11.1 pounds of marijuana in plain view in a bedroom used by a visitor to the home. Both Roberts and True-Blanchard reportedly denied ownership of the marijuana and then denied consent for deputies to search for any other illegal substances in the residence.
A residential search warrant was applied for and granted by Judge David Kreider.
Deputies executing the search warrant reportedly found another 7.2 pounds of marijuana in the home, most of which was in the master bedroom used by Roberts and True-Blanchard. Deputies also reportedly found a scale and baggies of marijuana with prices written on them, and 13 firearms were found in the home and in vehicles at the residence. $2,644 in cash, secured with rubber bands, was reportedly found in True-Blanchard’s purse; deputies noted that this is commonly associated with illegal narcotics sales.
Deputies also reportedly found multiple bags of THC gummies on the kitchen table, along with more cash. Deputies noted that the residence was in “disarray” and every room had signs of drug usage, including drug paraphernalia, marijuana, and baggies.
Roberts has one misdemeanor conviction (none violent); Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $30,000.
True-Blanchard has no criminal convictions; Judge Jaworski set bail at $7,000.
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.
Big dummies
DAAAAAAMN.. U DON’T CALL THE POLICE WHEN TRAPPIN.. RULE #1..
Dumb and Dumber!
Totally agree. The cops should have taken a report and gone to find the person or people responsible for the home invasion. Instead, they ignored that part and went all “ooh, weed!” on the victims! A sad excuse for what is supposed to be service and protection. Smh.
This is a sad mockery of “protect and serve”. It’s their damn house. Cops were there for a home invasion. THAT is what they needed to investigate. This right here is why (especially Alachua County) cops get a bad rap. People don’t want to call for help because they’re afraid of being arrested themselves. DRUGS AREN’T GOING ANYWHERE!!! Stop trying to control what people put in their bodies and when you are called to help a situation, DO IT! Ofc these people refused a further search!!! It should have ended right there! Take a report on the home invasion and go find and catch THAT GUY! ASO is a bad joke!
I think that if you call GPD officers, or ACSO deputies to the scene of a shooting, they gonna be on alert for anything, including the residents that made the call.
Besides, it’s obvious to me that these two don’t really have any sort of work ethic.
I guess selling drugs out of dirty house probably has its “hard work” attributes, however, the Alachua County probation, community control, and drug court program will in the near future ensure they “come around”.
Or maybe not? 🤔
In that case we will see some mugshots for VOP.
Give it 60 to 90 days.
They were probably struggling to pay bills and were doing what they were doing to make ends meet. A little bit of weed don’t hurt no one. It actually makes things better. Y’all don’t know they were going through and I don’t either so I’m not judging them. Now the dude that busted in and started pistol whipping the guy seems like a real danger to the community. I hope the cops or someone gets him and I don’t even like the police.
Everyone seems to have missed the fact that the ‘victim’ fired shots at the retreating perp. That is a serious gun violence crime. And not charged. Figures. Did any of the liberals here notice that the ASO deputies found 13 guns? Any stolen? That would be multiple felonies, and people here have had their feelings hurt because these major criminals were dumb enough to call the cops.
They got busted with A Whole Lot of cash money.
I don’t really “see a struggle” to pay bills with that kinda cash just laying around.
The only reason for the home invasion was they were robbed of drugs or I’ll gotten gains (money) from drugs sales with is still illegal in the state of Florida. Would the kinda of logic apply if you you reported that your house was broken into and you had otger people’s stolen property inside or a couple of dead bodies you were hiding? Or the prostitute who calls to say she was robbed because the John didn’t pay her. I am sure they will the home invasion. They only thing law enforcement did was their job. The law is supposed to be enforced blindly.
“cash, secured with rubber bands; deputies noted that this is commonly associated with illegal narcotics sales.”
It is also associated with a hard working server at the Waffle House who gets paid in dollar bill tips.
Follow the sane states and legalize recreational pot for adults. Arrests will go down by half and cops will have time to catch real criminals.
I hope this holds up in court. This all started with the no prosecuting of overdose cases and now I’ve seen this more and more where people think they can do dirt, then get in a bind, and still call the police to help and protect them. Send these two to prison for polluting our community with their drugs.
I know the weed was trash just by looking at the suspects. 😢
And honestly I have more respect for the thug who pistol whipped these two than I do for these drug dealers. A drug dealer should NEVER be made to feel comfortable or at ease, I don’t care if it’s in their own home or not!
Same thing happened at Cabana beach years ago th 5 guys living there all got 2-10 years
Law enforcement is responsible to serve and protect…the community. When a victim is also committing crimes, LEOs are supposed to address ALL the crimes. Not just the ones reported by the victim. Sometimes victims are criminals, too.
The neighbors probably appreciate having the drug dealing shut down. Drug dealers endanger those around them, as evidenced by the home invasion, pistol whipping, and shots fired in this particular case.
Drugs and violence often go hand in hand, so dealing with the drugs as well was the right thing to do, even though that may chill some other dealers from calling ASO when they experience a crime.
These fine folk were just engaging in free enterprise. Seeing how there are few job opportunities in Alachua county, they created a business of their own.
That and dealing in firearms to boot 😁
This is exactly why organized crime has their own enforcement mechanisms.