Authorities reported that a Florida man contacted the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office on July 16 claiming that someone stole a bag of cocaine and some cash from his vehicle. During the call to report the alleged crime, the 32-year-old man told authorities that he was a drug dealer.
The man said that his vehicle was parked on Ed Street when it was broken into. He claimed that the unknown person took a quarter ounce of cocaine and $50 in cash from the center console of the vehicle. When the responding deputy looked into the car, he reportedly saw the cocaine sitting in the spot where the accused man claimed it had been stolen from. Upon further investigation, the deputy recovered a crack rock from off the center console and crack pipe on the floorboard near the driver’s door.
When the deputy attempted to take the man into custody, he reportedly resisted the arrest without violence. He was facing charges for possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and for resisting arrest.
The state of Florida levies strict penalties against those who are facing drug possession charges. However, a criminal law attorney could analyze the causes for the accused person’s arrest and the methods the authorities used to retrieve the evidence. In some cases, the attorney may find that the person’s constitutional rights were violated, potentially meaning that some of the evidence could be suppressed or that the case could be dismissed altogether. Otherwise, the attorney may work to create doubt in the case or to obtain a plea agreement that would provide for less harsh penalties in exchange for a guilty plea.
Source: ABC Action News, “Florida drug dealer calls 911 to report stolen cocaine“, July 19, 2017