On Dec. 19, a 41-year-old Florida man who was dressed up as Santa Claus was taken into police custody after he was accused of being in possession of several types of drugs. Authorities stated that that man was seen unloading a U-Haul truck that had a large amount of marijuana sitting in plain view on the driver’s seat.
When the man spotted the authorities, he reportedly ran from the parking lot. The police caught him after he was tripped by his Santa pants. After taking him into custody, police reported that they found a plastic baggie in the suit and cash. Back at the U-Haul, authorities claimed that they found a scale with marijuana residue and a pouch containing MDMA in addition to the marijuana.
A bucket on the driver’s side floorboard also was found to contain more marijuana, ecstasy pills and molly. As a result, the man was facing a number of drug charges that were related to possession and intent to sell.
The state of Florida takes drug crimes very seriously. Depending on the type of drug and the amount, a person could potentially face years in prison if a conviction is obtained. A criminal defense attorney may potentially argue that the drugs did not belong to the defendant or that the defendant was unaware that the drugs were in the vehicle or residence. In cases where there was no warrant, a challenge could also be made to the search that led to the seizure of the drugs as being made without the requisite probable cause.
Source: CBS News, “Police: Florida man dressed as Santa caught with molly, ecstasy pills, marijuana“, Dec. 20, 2016
