A 23-year-old Florida man has received several drug charges following a traffic stop in Okeechobee. According to reports, the man was previously convicted of drug possession charges two times in 2012. The latest incident resulted in charges for felony trafficking in methamphetamine, misdemeanor possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license. The man has been detained at Okeechobee County Jail on $103,000 bond.
According to a report by the Okeechobee Narcotics Task Force, the accused man was stopped while driving westbound along S.R. 78 in a Ford pickup truck. When a detective approached the man’s vehicle, the man reportedly appeared to have a fresh needle injection in his arm that was still dripping with blood. The man also is reported to have admitted to driving without a license.
When the detective conducted a search of the man’s truck, he allegedly discovered 78 grams of methamphetamine inside of a purse that was located behind the driver. The search also uncovered a cup holder with suspected marijuana, unmarked pink and purple capsules wrapped in cellophane and a syringe. Field tests conducted at the scene reportedly confirmed the presence of marijuana and methamphetamine.
The man in this case may be able to build a solid defense against his felony drug trafficking charge, which is the most serious of his charges. An attorney may be able to help the man to establish that the methamphetamine that was discovered in his vehicle was not in his direct control. Because the substance was found inside of a purse, the man may argue that a female passenger left the bag there without his knowledge.
Source: Florida News Zap, “Okeechobee man charged with trafficking meth”, Eric Kopp, January 16, 2014