A rapper from South Florida who goes by the stage name “Stitches” was handed gun and drug charges on Jan. 25. The man was stopped outside of a Miami Beach Whole Foods supermarket after a police officer noticed that he was illegally parked in a handicap space. The police officer allegedly found a jar of marijuana and a 9mm Glock handgun inside of the man’s Porsche.
Police allege that the rapper was asked whether he had any firearms, and he replied that he didn’t. However, Stitches reportedly apologized to the police officer for not disclosing his Glock and explained that he thought the officer had asked him whether he had a gun on his person. The man reportedly handed the officer a rolled joint that he had with him at the time of the incident.
The rapper was handed two separate drug charges and one charge for possession of a concealed firearm. According to reports, the man told police that he keeps a gun with him for personal security reasons. The first album that was released by Stitches in 2015 was called ‘For Drug Dealers Only”.
Police officers are not allowed to search a person’s car unless they have a reasonable suspicion that they will find evidence of a crime. A person who has been handed drug or weapons charges after a warrantless vehicle search may argue that the search was illegal. A criminal defense attorney may be able to help a person in this situation to file petitions to suppress the evidence that was obtained from their vehicle.
Source: Local 10, “South Florida rapper busted for gun, drugs while illegally parked in handicapped spot,” Jeff Tavss, Jan. 26, 2017
