Floridians arrested for marijuana trafficking
Shoshone County Sheriff's deputies Sam Rodier (right) and Sgt. Bilaski on scene of Sunday's traffic stop in Wallace that yielded a substantial marijuana seizure and two arrests.
Photo by CHANSE WATSON
WALLACE — It appears that someone was trying to load up for 4/20 …
Two Florida residents were taken into police custody Sunday afternoon following a traffic stop in Wallace.
The Shoshone County Sheriff's Office reports that on April 18 around 11:30 a.m., deputy Sam Rodier observed a vehicle on Fifth Street fail to use its turn signal and commit a separate traffic violation.
Upon pulling the vehicle over, Rodier made contact with a Gerald McPeak, 53, of Saint Johns, Fla., and a Dustin Pritchett, 40, of Keystone Heights, Fla.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the vehicle contained 33.5 pounds of marijuana in a hidden compartment in the back. Items included vacuum bags filled with marijuana, pre-rolled joints, packaging materials, a vacuum sealer and extra bags.
After processing the entire vehicle, the evidence was seized and both McPeak and Pritchett were taken into custody without incident. Both suspects are facing charges of drug trafficking in marijuana and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia.