Clay County Jury Finds Jenkins Guilty of Possession of Methamphetamine

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Clay County jury found Joshua Jenkins guilty of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Controlled Substance Paraphernalia. With the verdict, Jenkins faces five years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable James E. Kallaher will sentence Jenkins at a later date.

Just after midnight Dec. 20, 2023, a Clay County deputy arrived at a fast-food restaurant after reports of a fire or explosion. The officer saw a man – later identified as Jenkins – lying next to a small fire. Jenkins told the officer he was trying to keep warm. Jenkins began to walk away from the officer and as he was doing so, the officer saw him drop two pipes and a clear plastic bag containing a clear, hard substance. After some resistance, Jenkins was arrested. The substance within the bag tested positive in the field for methamphetamine, which was later confirmed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement laboratory.

The case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Richard Natto and Hector Murcia Bustos.