Six-Time Felon Caught with Arsenal and Drugs in Palm Beach Traffic Stop

PGA Boulevard and Prosperity Farms Road, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA - In an early morning traffic stop on July 8, 2025, local police officers in Palm Beach Gardens made a startling discovery involving a six-time convicted felon. The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. at the intersection of PGA Boulevard and Prosperity Farms Road when officers pulled over Maurice Lorenzo Latham, 36, due to a traffic infraction. Latham appeared noticeably nervous and admitted to driving a rental vehicle, raising further suspicion among the officers.

A quick background check revealed Latham’s extensive criminal history, with six felony convictions primarily related to weapons and drugs. His checkered past led officers to suspect that he may not have been compliant with the law this time around either. When Latham declined to allow officers to search his vehicle, they decided to deploy K-9 units to help determine if there was probable cause for a search. The K-9s alerted to the presence of contraband, prompting a thorough search of the car.

The Shocking Findings

The ensuing search yielded an alarming cache of items that left officers astonished. Inside the vehicle, authorities discovered:

• 15 Oxycodone pills
• A crushed alprazolam
• 1 gram of methamphetamine
• 53 loose 9 mm bullets
• 6 9 mm bullets in a black magazine
• 5 .45 caliber bullets in a silver magazine
• 21 loose .38 caliber bullets
• 1 loose .40 caliber bullet
• 1 loose .38 caliber bullet
• A black and silver 9mm semi-automatic handgun
• A stainless steel .45 caliber Springfield handgun reported stolen in April

As a result of these findings, Latham has been charged with a staggering 89 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in addition to three counts of possession of a controlled substance, marking a significant escalation in his already troubled history with the law, as reported by CW34.

A Wider Perspective

The statistics surrounding gun and drug-related offenses are troubling and raise questions about safety and criminal justice in our communities. According to the Department of Justice, there are a vast array of statistics available regarding firearms and drug-related crime trends, which suggests that incidents similar to Latham’s are not as rare as we might hope. The problems associated with such repeated criminal behavior highlight the importance of ongoing efforts to ensure public safety.

Indeed, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reports significant findings in its analyses, shedding light on the burgeoning issue of firearms in the hands of those who should not possess them. With the prevalence of illegal drugs running rampant, the involvement of felons in such activities is a worrying trend that many fear is escalating. The statistics from the Drug Enforcement Administration further corroborate this concern, offering insight into the growing levels of drug-related crime across the nation.

As Latham awaits the legal proceedings that lie ahead, this incident serves as a grim reminder of the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in dealing with repeated offenders and the serious implications these situations have for community safety. The local police department, alongside federal agencies, continues to work diligently to combat such matters, but how can communities best support these efforts? Only time will tell how the situation unfolds, but one thing’s for certain: the impacts of crime reverberate throughout our neighborhoods.