Registered sex offender arrested for having large quantity of drugs in home with a small child present

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ronnie Leron Williams, Sr., 53, was arrested on October 7 after a search warrant reportedly produced a large quantity of drugs in his home, where a small child was present.

On October 7, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies executed a search warrant at Williams’s home in Tower Village, and the search reportedly produced 43.5 Doxycycline Hyclate pills that were not prescribed to Williams; 10.32 grams of crack cocaine; 77.16 grams of marijuana, pre-packaged into 20 bags; 15.55 grams of fentanyl, pre-packaged into 18 dime-sized baggies; 5.55 grams of Oxycodone pills; a digital scale; baggies; and razor blades, used to cut and package narcotics.

A search of Williams, incident to arrest, reportedly produced three additional dime-sized baggies that held 0.32 grams, 0.32 grams, and 0.29 grams of fentanyl. Deputies noted that all of the dime-sized baggies had a distinctive bulldog graphic printed on one side of the bag. These baggies brought the total of fentanyl to 16.48 grams.

Williams’s home is less than 1,000 feet from Veterans Memorial Park, less than 700 feet from Wiles Elementary, less than 1,500 feet from Kanapaha Middle School, and less than 1,400 feet from Haile Equestrian Center, which offers programs for children.

An infant was reportedly present in the home when the search warrant was executed, along with numerous items that indicated the child spends a substantial amount of time at the residence. According to the arrest report, “numerous” dime-sized baggies containing fentanyl were stored in the kitchen near food and snacks for the infant.

Along with charges that Williams, as a sexual offender, failed to register a vehicle and provided false registration information, the search warrant led to two counts of selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school or park, possession of trafficking quantities of fentanyl, maintaining a drug dwelling with knowledge that a minor is present, three counts of possession of a Schedule I controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to sell, child neglect without great bodily harm, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to sell, and possession of a new legend drug with intent to sell.

Williams, a registered sexual offender, has 10 felony convictions (non-violent, one sex offense) and four misdemeanor convictions (non-violent) and has served three state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2017. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail on the fentanyl trafficking charge, pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing. Judge Rawls set bail at $750,000 on the other charges.

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.