Alachua County, FL – An early morning traffic stop in Alachua County on Saturday led to the arrest of a convicted felon after deputies say a K-9 unit alerted to illegal narcotics inside the vehicle.
According to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, patrol deputies with assistance from the FOCUS Unit conducted a traffic stop around the early morning hours of Saturday, January 10, 2026, on the 15000 block of NW U.S. Highway 441, a busy corridor northwest of Gainesville.
During the stop, a K-9 deputy deployed a narcotics-trained dog to conduct an exterior sniff of the silver Hyundai involved. Deputies say the K-9 gave a positive alert for the presence of illegal drugs, providing probable cause for a search of the vehicle.
Authorities report the search uncovered more than 18 grams of methamphetamine, over one gram of fentanyl, more than 10 grams of cannabis, a loaded semi-automatic handgun, large amounts of cash, and additional drug paraphernalia.
Investigators determined the drugs and firearm allegedly belonged to the passenger, 41-year-old John Hollingsworth. According to deputies, Hollingsworth is a convicted felon who previously served time for burglary.
Hollingsworth was arrested and charged with trafficking in methamphetamine (14 grams or more), possession with intent to sell fentanyl, possession of a vehicle while knowingly trafficking drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sheriff’s officials noted Hollingsworth had recently been released on bond out of Duval County on January 5, 2026, where he was charged in a separate case involving the alleged sale of fentanyl and cocaine.
The driver of the vehicle was not charged in connection with the narcotics, according to authorities.
Anyone seeking additional information about this arrest or other cases in Alachua County can visit the sheriff’s office website or sign up for victim notification services through the MyVINE smartphone app.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook for more relevant news stories and SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWS! Have a tip? Message us!
