A traffic stop in Florida is proving that some people really can be their own worst enemies.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, 48-year-old Gina Kathelia Redding of Lake Wales was stopped after driving around a road closure where deputies were assisting utility crews working on power lines. What happened next, deputies say, transformed a simple ticket into an arrest that eventually landed Redding in the county jail.
The incident quickly caught the attention of Sheriff Grady Judd, who featured the case during one of his widely watched morning briefings. Judd’s colorful retelling of the arrest has since generated thousands of comments online, with many viewers focusing as much on his storytelling as the allegations themselves.
What began with a closed road, a citation, and a frustrated driver ultimately ended with felony charges, a jail booking, and a discovery deputies say made the case much more serious.
Watch: Sheriff Grady Judd Explains What Happened
Embedded media follows. Please allow a moment for it to load.
According to Judd, deputies had closed a roadway while utility crews worked on power lines. Redding allegedly drove around a deputy directing traffic and continued through the closure.
A second deputy stopped her at the other end of the road and issued a citation. Rather than moving on, deputies say Redding began following the deputy after receiving the ticket.
Judd said Redding then called 911 to complain about the citation. Because 911 is intended for emergencies, deputies responded and conducted a second stop. During that encounter, Redding was arrested for allegedly misusing the emergency system.
Before her vehicle was towed, deputies conducted an inventory search and reportedly found marijuana. However, Judd said the most significant discovery came later, after Redding arrived at the jail.
According to the sheriff, a body scanner detected a foreign object concealed on her person. Corrections officers subsequently recovered 28 bags of fentanyl, leading to additional charges including trafficking in fentanyl and introducing contraband into a detention facility.
Polk County jail records show Redding remains in custody. Her current charges include trafficking in fentanyl over four grams, introducing contraband into a detention facility, misuse of the 911 system, possession of marijuana under 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Jail Records Show a Long History in Polk County
A review of Polk County jail records indicates this is not Redding’s first encounter with local law enforcement.
Records reviewed by Guessing Headlights show bookings associated with Redding dating back to the late 1990s under variations of her name, including Gina Redding, Gina K. Redding, and Gina Kathelia Redding.
The most relevant prior bookings involve drug-related allegations. A 2014 booking included charges related to cocaine distribution and introducing contraband into a detention facility. A 2017 booking included charges related to amphetamine trafficking, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and other offenses.
The dispositions of those earlier cases were not immediately available. An arrest or booking does not constitute a conviction, and the current allegations against Redding have not been proven in court.
Still, the overlap between the current allegations and some of the prior bookings is notable. The charge of introducing contraband into a detention facility appears in both the 2014 and 2026 bookings.
Commenters Couldn’t Stop Talking About One Particular Word
While the allegations themselves are serious, the online reaction quickly took on a life of its own.
Much of the discussion centered on Judd’s decision to refer to the location where the fentanyl was allegedly hidden as “Virginia.” Hundreds of commenters immediately began making jokes about the state, its tourism slogan, and what exactly deputies might find there.
Others focused on the suspect’s decision to call 911 over a traffic ticket, with many pointing out that the complaint appeared to escalate what began as a relatively minor traffic matter into a far more serious criminal case.
A smaller number of commenters raised concerns about the dangers of carrying fentanyl in that manner and wondered what could have happened if one of the bags had ruptured.
Many viewers also praised Judd’s storytelling style, with some saying they watch his morning briefings as much for the sheriff’s colorful delivery as for the news itself.
One thing was clear from the more than 1,300 comments posted on the sheriff’s Facebook page: while the alleged fentanyl trafficking charge is serious, it was Judd’s now-infamous reference to “Virginia” that people will likely remember most from this case.