A Wildwood man and his Brooksville companion were arrested when a trooper found cocaine, marijuana, counterfeit money and a loaded gun in their car.
A trooper stopped 35-year-old Kiriakis Eugene Brown and 35-year-old Lavetta Lynshae’ Jenkins in a gray Dodge Charger with dark tint on County Road 476 in Bushnell at 6 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
Once Jenkins, the driver, rolled down the window, the trooper could smell burnt and fresh marijuana coming from the vehicle. He also noticed how nervous Brown looked in the passenger seat, with his heart visibly pounding through his t-shirt. The circumstances led the trooper to believe a marijuana-related crime had been committed, so he asked Jenkins to step out for a conversation, the report said.
She initially denied anyone smoking marijuana in her car, but when told it reeked of the stuff, she stated someone had smoked in there. She stalled when asked if there was still marijuana in her car before admitting there “probably” was. She did not know where the marijuana could be, though, and was asked to sit in the back of the patrol car for a narcotic investigation, the report said.
The trooper proceeded to pat down Brown for weapons and contraband. He then felt an unnatural grapefruit-sized bulge between Brown’s scrotum and buttocks. Per the trooper’s instruction, he took the object out of his pants and tossed it on the ground in front of him. The bag was determined to contain 28 grams of fresh marijuana, the report said.
After putting Brown beside Jenkins in the patrol car, the trooper searched the pair’s vehicle. He first found a small bag of cocaine in Brown’s wallet and moved on to a white handbag on the floorboard. It contained a smaller black bag with a Canik 9mm handgun, loaded with a live round of hollow-point ammo and 15 more rounds in the magazine. There was also a counterfeit $10 bill and a counterfeit $20 bill in the bag, the report said.
The search continued to the center console, where the trooper discovered Jenkins’s wallet. It contained a baggie of cocaine, which was open at the top and transferred onto the lining of the wallet. There was a short piece of straw, as well, the report said.
When the trooper got back to his vehicle, Jenkins and Brown were talking to him. Jenkins adamantly maintained that the cocaine in her wallet and the vehicle were not hers. Brown claimed ownership of both and added that he planted the narcotics in her wallet, the report said.
The trooper had Jenkins get out of the patrol car to speak with her privately, and she continued to say the narcotics were not hers. She stated the handgun did not belong to her either. At that point, several Sumter County deputies arrived on scene to assist, the report said.
The pair were moved to a different patrol vehicle so the trooper could review his in-car video. It revealed that Brown handed Jenkins a baggie of white substance to hide under her left breast while they were together in the backseat of the patrol car. This was subsequently taken off her person and tested for molly, MDMA and methamphetamine, the report said.
The video also recorded their reactions to when the trooper put the wallets and purse on the hood of his patrol vehicle. Jenkins stated, “Oh my God, he found the stuff,” along with remarks about how she was going to be “fired.” She then made a call where she told the person on the line that there was “stuff in the car,” and she was “about to go to jail,” the report said.
Brown later told the trooper that the marijuana was for his personal use. The handgun had been given to him as a gift, and all the narcotics in the vehicle belonged to him. He also acknowledged having three felony convictions, the report said.
Brown was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana (over 20 grams), possession of drug equipment, resisting arrest nd possession of weapon or ammo by a onvicted felon. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center with bond set at $24,000.
Jenkins was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of cocaine, possession of drug equipment and resisting arrest. She was released from the detention center after posting $6,500 bond.