The Florida Highway Patrol has reported that a 33-year-old Mississippi man is facing a raft of charges including drug possession and dealing in stolen property after allegedly fleeing the scene of an accident on the morning of Sept. 30. Police say that the man’s vehicle struck a wooden box in the parking lot of Santa Rosa County convenience store pushing it through the store’s window. The incident took place on Navarre Parkway in Navarre at approximately 6:00 a.m.
The man is said to have admitted to causing the accident and consented to a search of his Chevrolet Malibu after being pulled over a short time later. According to police, the search yielded a Xanax bar, a syringe and two bags of methamphetamine along with several items of personal mail and several boxes of snacks. Initial reports suggest that police believe the snacks were stolen.
After the search had been concluded, the man was taken into custody and charged. A 24-year-old woman was a passenger in the man’s vehicle at the time of his arrest, but reports do not indicate whether or not she has been charged or is cooperating with police. The incident is also being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspector General and the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office.
Criminal suspects often give up their constitutional rights in the mistaken belief that being completely honest will result in more lenient treatment or even forgiveness. Experienced criminal defense attorneys will likely be familiar with these impulses, and they could urge their clients to resist them and make no admissions or other statements and consent to no searches of their persons or property until they have spoken with a lawyer.
Source: WKRG News 5, “Disorderly Driver Found with Drugs and Snacks”, WKRG staff, Sept. 30, 2017
