Over the weekend, officers with the Sarasota Police Department arrested a four-time convicted felon who was in possession of a Hi-Point semi-automatic pistol and a magazine with 10 rounds.
Officers stopped William S. Griffin, 47, of Palmetto, at 12th Street and Huntington Place in Sarasota. When officers checked his information, it showed he had a suspended driver’s license with knowledge from a prior court order. Investigation information also revealed he was a high risk sexual offender and on inmate release for the sale of cocaine.
Officers asked if there was anything illegal in the car, Griffin told them no. Officers asked for permission to search the vehicle and Griffin allowed them to search. Officers found a firearm concealed under the driver’s seat where Griffin was sitting. The firearm was a Hi-Point .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol and loaded into the pistol was a magazine containing 10 rounds of ammunition.
Griffin was arrest and charged with driving on a suspended license with knowledge (misdemeanor), carrying a concealed firearm (felony) and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (felony). Griffin was transported with the Sarasota County Jail without incident.
Source: Winter Haven Police Department
