Three convicted felons arrested for gun possession after making Facebook Live video with the guns

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Lucien Byron, 20, Raynard Renardo Foster, 21, and Antonio Donnell Towns, Jr., 20, were arrested early this morning on gun possession charges after posting a Facebook Live video in which they all had guns.

At about 7:46 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, police viewed a Facebook Live video of the three defendants that showed all of them with guns; all are convicted felons who are not permitted to possess guns. Officers were unable to determine their location at the time.

At about 1:22 a.m., while responding to a call regarding an armed disturbance in the midtown area (1700 W. University Ave.), Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers saw the three standing on the southeast corner of Fat Daddy’s. All three were wearing the same clothing as the men seen in the video, and they were detained in handcuffs.

In a search following his arrest, officers reportedly found a loaded Ruger firearm in Foster’s waistband, along with 0.4 grams of cocaine and 8 grams of marijuana. Foster has two felony convictions; his most recent conviction was in 2019 for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a concealed firearm, resisting without violence, and altering a firearm. He was released from state prison in March of 2021.

Foster had an outstanding warrant for charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon from a February 23 incident at Walmart in which he and three others (including Byron) allegedly broke the jaw of a Walmart employee and then threatened to shoot the victim’s mother.

Foster also has a pending charge of lewd and lascivious battery on a person under 16 years of age from an incident in February of 2022. Information about Foster’s bond for this case is not available, but his bail is $150,000 in the Walmart case and $350,000 in the lewd and lascivious battery case.

In a search following his arrest, officers reportedly found a loaded Glock 43 in Towns’ front pocket. Towns has one felony conviction and was released from state prison on January 28, 2022, after serving a 3-year sentence for an attempted burglary charge and grand theft. Towns also has a pending charge for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon from a March 20 incident. He is being held on $30,000 bail.

The three defendants arrived in a white Mercedes Benz owned by a fourth person (the driver and a witness in this case). That witness reportedly confirmed that Byron, Foster, and Towns had been riding in his car. Officers were able to see a firearm in plain view on the rear seat, where Byron had been sitting. The witness provided consent to search the car, and a Glock 17 was reportedly collected; Byron had been holding a Glock 17 during the Facebook Live video. The Glock was determined to be stolen (previously reported to GPD).

Byron has four felony convictions and was released from state prison in September of 2021 after serving a one-year sentence on charges of attempted burglary, trafficking in stolen property, providing false information to a pawn broker, and recklessly fleeing. He has a pending charge of simple battery for the February 23 Walmart incident, and that sworn complaint notes that he is a documented 4K gang member. He is being held on $95,000 bail with a requirement for GPS monitoring.

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.