A Wildwood man was arrested on drug charges when a K-9 unit sniffed out marijuana in his trunk.
An officer pulled over 28-year-old Hiakiem Malcolm Johnson in a gray 2020 Kia Forte around 9:10 p.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. His vehicle’s headlight on the passenger side had gone out, leading to the traffic stop on North Gamble Street.
When asked for his driver’s license, Johnson stated it had been taken and suspended for tolls. The officer noticed the smell of burnt marijiuana at his time and asked about that, too, to which he advised that he had been smoking in the vehicle earlier but did not have any now. A K-9 unit was then brought to the scene, positively alerting to the odor of narcotics, the report said.
A search of the vehicle followed and revealed a clear mason jar with a plastic bag in the trunk. Both contained marijuana that totalled 102.91 grams, the report said.
Johnson later stated he got the marijuana from a friend before changing his story to say it belonged to the friend. He claimed this friend put the marijuana in the back of his car earlier in the day when they were all smoking and forgot to take it out. He admitted to knowing about it being in the vehicle yet would not identify who it really belonged to, the report said.
Additionally, a check of his driving history confirmed his license had been suspended on Jan. 13, the report said.
Johnson was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana (more than 20 grams), drug paraphernalia (possess or use) and driving while license suspended. He was transported to the Sumter County Detention Center with bond set at $4,000.