LONG BEACH — The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office picked up a south county man after he fled from a charge lingering in Pacific County Superior Court. He was one of four men arrested in connection to a Pacific County Joint Drug Task Force operation on Sept. 8 in Long Beach.

Adam S. Hart, 34, was arrested during the raid after officers discovered he was in illegal possession of a firearm. The firearm is alleged to have been a sawed off shotgun with a barrel under the federally mandated 18-inch length requirement.

According to court records, Hart made a preliminary court appearance following his arrest on Sept. 11 and was released without bail by Judge Donald J. Richter. He was formally arraigned on Sept. 15 and pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm.

Hart also appeared at additional pretrial hearings but failed to show up to a hearing on Nov. 3, which prompted the court to issue a $10,000 bench warrant. Hart was picked up by the sheriff’s office on Nov. 27 and appeared for a warrant identification hearing the same day.

According to court records, Richter ordered Hart to be held in lieu of $5,000 bail and reappointed indigent defense attorney Justin Kover to represent him. No future court dates were tentatively set. Hart’s already scheduled trial date for Jan. 9, 2024 was stricken.