Holmes Beach police arrested Anthony Gibson, 27, of Bradenton, June 26 on three second-degree felony charges for possession of a concealed firearm while committing a felony, possession of a concealed firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm by convicted felon.
Gibson also was charged with two third-second felony charges for possession of a concealed firearm and possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana.
Two officers were stationed in the parking lot of Walgreens, 3200 E. Bay Drive, around 10 p.m. and saw a motorist enter the lot, park and turn off the vehicle’s lights.
The officers smelled “the strong odor of fresh marijuana” and, since the motorist was the only other one in the parking lot, they began driving toward the motorist, according to a police report.
The motorist started to drive away but the officers conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the vehicle’s occupants, including a driver and two passengers, with Gibson in the backseat.
The officers asked about the marijuana odor and the occupants said they had recently smoked a “blunt.”
Gibson and an officer had walked to the police vehicle so the officer could confirm his information, when the other officer saw a large bag containing a leafy green substance on the ground outside the vehicle. The substance tested positive as marijuana.
An officer detained Gibson, who “had just walked right through the area where the marijuana was located,” and confirmed that he had a medical marijuana card but no active prescription for the substance.
Gibson told police the marijuana was not his and the driver had tossed the bag out of the window when they were stopped. The vehicle’s other two occupants said the marijuana was Gibson’s.
One of the occupants said Gibson, who did not have a concealed weapons license, had given her a handgun and told her to hide it before the police approached the vehicle.
She said she hid the gun under the front passenger seat, where the officers found the firearm on a second search.
Gibson told police the gun belonged to the accuser.
The officers arrested Gibson and transported him to the Manatee County jail, where he was released the same day after posting $25,500 bond.
If convicted, punishment for a second-degree felony charge includes up to 15 years in prison, 15 years of probation and a fine of up to $10,000.
Punishment for a third-degree felony charge includes up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000.
An arraignment will be at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 4, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.