A Florida traffic stop over 15 mph might have been relatively straightforward if the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office’s account ended with the speedometer. Instead, deputies say the van contained an AR-15, 77 grams of methamphetamine and, somewhat unexpectedly, 11 pounds of saw palmetto berries.
Deputy Pandolfi initially stopped the van after it was clocked traveling 75 mph in a 60 mph zone, according to the sheriff’s office. As the deputy approached the driver’s door, authorities say he spotted an AR-15 positioned between the center console and driver’s seat.
The sheriff’s office identified the driver as Dewayne Rose, whom it described as a six-time convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms. Deputies also said a check of Rose’s driver’s license revealed that it was suspended.
Cpl. Santana and K9 Lucy subsequently arrived, with the dog conducting a free-air sniff around the vehicle and alerting at both the driver’s and passenger’s doors. What deputies say they found afterward turned a speeding stop into an arrest involving drugs, a firearm and a considerably less conventional haul from Florida’s plant life.
Deputies Found Some Weird Stuff
We were unable to embed the video attached to the original Facebook post, but it can be found at this link. According to the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Pandolfi discovered a total of 77 grams of methamphetamine along with a scale and glass pipe. The sheriff’s office credited the deputies and K9 Lucy with getting what it characterized as dangerous drugs off the streets.
Deputies say they also searched two bags and discovered approximately 11 pounds of saw palmetto berries inside. Rose told authorities he had harvested the berries in Sarasota, according to the sheriff’s office, but deputies say he could not provide a permit.
Rose was booked into the DeSoto County Jail on charges listed by the sheriff’s office as trafficking in amphetamines or methamphetamines involving 14 grams or more, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of drug paraphernalia, knowingly driving while his license was suspended or revoked, and harvesting without presenting a permit. A check of the DeSoto County Jail Docket did not turn up any additional information concerning Rose’s booking at the time of writing.
Another Florida Stop Went Pretty Much the Same
This isn’t the first Florida traffic stop we’ve covered recently in which a relatively ordinary violation preceded the discovery of both drugs and a firearm. Earlier this month, Hillsborough County deputies stopped 43-year-old Carlois Hill over an improper license plate before authorities said a search uncovered cocaine, drug paraphernalia, ammunition, and a gold-colored rifle.
Hillsborough County authorities described Hill as a three-time convicted felon and said deputies also determined he had no driver’s license and three previous convictions for driving with a suspended license. Much like Rose’s case, what began as a traffic violation quickly became considerably more serious once deputies approached the vehicle and began investigating.
There was no 11-pound collection of saw palmetto berries to account for in that case, though, so Rose’s stop manages to distinguish itself in an already fairly unusual category. The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office says Rose was ultimately booked on five charges, while the lack of additional information in the county jail docket leaves the department’s account as the primary source for the circumstances surrounding his arrest.