Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: VIGGIANO, PAUL (AR15-16626) (15-128154) DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY HAVE IN HIS ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, TO WIT: CANNABIS, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS MARIJUANA, IN AN AMOUNT OF 20 GRAMS OR LESS, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 893.13(6)(B). ON 092915, WHILE PATROLLING IN THE AREA OF SOUTHEAST HIGHWAY 19 AND SOUTHEAST FORT ISLAND TRAIL IN CRYSTAL RIVER, I OBSERVED A BLACK TOYOTA CAMRY, BEARING FLORIDA TAG NUMBER DFSK58, TRAVELING EASTBOUND ON FORT ISLAND TRAIL, ENTER THE INTERSECTION PASSING THE STOP BAR IN THE LEFT TURN LANE AS THE LIGHT TURNED FROM YELLOW TO RED. THE ENTIRE SUSPECT VEHICLE WAS OUT IN FRONT OF THE STOP BAR AND PARTIALLY IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANE OF TRAFFIC CAUSING TRAFFIC TO HAVE TO MANEUVER AROUND THE SUSPECT VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME, I ACTIVATED MY EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT AND INITIATED A TRAFFIC STOP ON THE SUSPECT VEHICLE. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH DRIVER/DEFENDANT, MS CHRISTOPHER SHANE STEER, AT WHICH TIME I REQUESTED HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE, REGISTRATION AND INSURANCE CARD. THE DEFENDANT PROVIDED ME WITH HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE AND A RENTAL AGREEMENT FROM NATIONAL CAR RENTAL OUT OF MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. HE STATED HE WAS TRAVELING TO TALLAHASSEE AND GOT A LITTLE LOST. WHILE SPEAKING WITH THE DEFENDANT, I BELIEVED I COULD SMELL AN ODOR THAT THROUGH MY TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE WAS CONSISTENT WITH MARIJUANA COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. I REQUEST A BACKUP UNIT TO RESPOND TO MY LOCATION. K-9 DEPUTY DEARDEN ARRIVED ON SCENE AS I WAS COMPLETING WRITTEN WARNING NUMBER 401713B, FOR THE RED LIGHT VIOLATION. I REQUESTED THAT HE CONDUCT AN EXTERIOR SNIFF OF THE SUSPECT VEHICLE WITH HIS CANINE TYSON. I HAD THE DEFENDANT ROLLED UP THE WINDOW AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE TO THE VEHICLE. K-9 DEPUTY DEARDEN CONDUCTED AN EXTERIOR SNIFF OF THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT CANINE TYSON HAD ALERTED. I THEN HAD THE DEFENDANT EXIT THE VEHICLE, AT WHICH TIME HE STATED THAT I COULD NOT SEARCH HIS VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME, I ADVISED HIM THE CANINE HAD ALERTED ON THE VEHICLE AND THAT WE WERE CONDUCTING A SEARCH. DEPUTY HORTON ARRIVED ON SCENE AND I CONDUCTED A PAT DOWN SEARCH OF THE DEFENDANT WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS FOR ANY WEAPONS. I THEN CONDUCTED A SEARCH OF THE VEHICLE WHERE I LOCATED A GREEN FABRIC SHOPPING BAG IN THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT THAT CONTAINED A CIGARILLO WRAPPER. UPON CLOSURE EXAMINATION OF THE CIGARILLO WRAPPER, I FOUND IT TO CONTACT TWO UNUSED CIGARILLOS AND APPROXIMATELY 3 GRAMS OF A GREEN LEAFY SUBSTANCE, THAT THROUGH MY TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE I IDENTIFIED AS MARIJUANA. THE SUBSTANCE ALSO LATER TESTED POSITIVE AS MARIJUANA. AT THAT TIME, I ADVISED THE DEFENDANT HE WAS BEING PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA LESS THAN 20 GRAMS. HE WAS THEN HANDCUFFED (DOUBLE LOCKED) AND PLACED IN THE REAR OF DEPUTY HORTON'S PATROL VEHICLE. A SEARCH OF THE REMAINDER OF THE SUSPECT VEHICLE REVEALED A SMALL AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA SHAKE AND A LARGE SUM OF U S CURRENCY IN A SUITCASE IN THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE THAT HAD BEEN SEPARATED INTO EQUAL DENOMINATIONS. I ALSO LOCATED A LARGE SUM OF U S CURRENCY IN THE CENTER CONSOLE IN FRONT OF THE SHIFTER AND MORE U S CURRENCY IN THE GREEN SHOPPING BAG WHERE I HAD LOCATED THE MARIJUANA. SEE SUPPLEMENT REPORT FOR FURTHER. DEPUTY HORTON TRANSPORTED THE DEFENDANT TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. ONCE AT THE DETENTION FACILITY, DEPUTY MCLAUGHLIN- PERRY AND DEPUTY LUDLOW ATTEMPTED TO CONDUCT AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DEFENDANT; HOWEVER, HE REQUESTED AN ATTORNEY. THE DEFENDANT'S BOND WAS SET AT $1,000.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. THE DEFENDANT'S VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY ADAMS TOWING. THE MARIJUANA AND THE U S CURRENCY WERE COLLECTED, PACKAGED AND TURNED INTO EVIDENCE. |