Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: LAMBERT, BOBBY 0480 (AR11120031) did knowingly, willfully and feloniously be in the actual or constructive possession of a controlled substance, to-wit: THE DEFENDANT DID HAVE IN HIS ACTUAL AND CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION A PLASTIC THREE INCH STRAW CONTAINING COCAINE, in violation of Florida Statute 893.13(6)(A). DID KNOWINGLY OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE UPON A FLORIDA HIGHWAY WITH NO VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE, 322.34(2). ON 033111 AT APPROXIMATELY 1450 HOURS, I RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT DEFENDANT MATTHEW SARDAM WAS AT A LOCaTION IN INVERNESS, AND WAS POSSIBLY going TO LEAVE DRIVING A VEHICLE ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE. I CONDUCTED AN NCIC/FCIC CHECK OF DEFENDANT SARDAM'S DRIVER'S LICENSE STATUS, WHERE IT REVEALED THAT HIS LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED ON 030811 FOR FAILURE TO PAY NUMEROUS CITATIONS. AT APPROXIMATELY 1509 HOURS, I OBSERVED DEFENDANT SARDAM DRIVING A 1997 MAROON MITSUBISHI IN THE AREA OF HIGHWAY 44 AND STONE. UPON RUNNING THE TAG ATTACHED TO THIS VEHICLE VIA FCIC/NCIC, IT SHOWED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REGISTERED. NEXT, I CONDUCTED A TRAFFIC STOP WHERE CONTACT WAS MADE WITH DRIVER/DEFENDANT SARDAM WHERE I REQUESTED THAT THE DEFENDANT PROVIDE ME WITH PROOF OF HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE. AT THAT TIME DEFENDANT SARDAM STATED, "I DO NOT HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE, IT IS SUSPENDED". NEXT, I ASKED DEFENDANT SARDAM WHO THE VEHICLE BELONGED TO, WHERE HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE BELONGED TO DEFENDANT HEATHER WHITT, who WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. I THEN ASKED DEFENDANT WHITT FOR THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION, WHERE SHE INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REGISTERED. DEFENDANT WHITT STATED SHE HAD JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF getting THE INFORMATION TRANSFERRED. DEFENDANT WHITT ALSO PROVIDED ME WITH A COPY OF THE TITLE. NEXT, I ASKED DEFENDANT WHITT IF SHE WAS AWARE that DEFENDANT SARDAM HAD A SUSPENDED DRIVER'S LICENSE. DEFENDANT WHITT THEN STATED, "YES, I KNEW" AND FURTHER ADVISED THAT SHE WAS ALLOWING DEFENDANT SARDAM TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE because SHE WAS SCARED TO DRIVE DUE TO something BEING WRONG with the BRAKES. NEXT, I PLACED DEFENDANT SARDAM IN HANDCUFFS (DOUBLE LOCKED) BEHIND HIS BACK AND CONDUCTED A SEARCH OF HIS PERSON. I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE IN HIS FRONT RIGHT POCKET A PLASTIC THREE INCH STRAW CONTAINING AN OFF WHITE SUBSTANCE. A FIELD TEST WAS CONDUCTED ON THE SUBSTANCE WHERE I RECEIVED A POSITIVE RESULT FOR COCAINE. DEFENDANT SARDAM WAS THEN SEATED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. CANINE DEPUTY AJAX ARRIVED ON SCENE WHERE DEPUTY RITLI THEN DEPLOYED CANINE AJAX. SEE CANINE REPORT. DEFENDANT WHITT WAS THEN PLACED IN HANDCUFFS (DOUBLE LOCKED) BEHIND THE BACK WHERE SHE WAS ADVISED SHE WAS BEING PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR PERMITTING AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON TO DRIVE A MOTOR VEHICLE. DEFENDANT WHITT'S INFORMATION WAS RUN THROUGH FCIC/NCIC WHERE I RECEIVED A HIT THAT SHE WAS CURRENTLY ON SEX OFFENDER PROBATION. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH HER PROBATION OFFICER, ZELLNER, WHO INFORMED ME THAT SHE IS CURRENTLY ON PROBATION AND ADVISED ME TO VIOLATE HER PROBATION REFERENCE TO THE NEW CRIMINAL CHARGE. BOTH DEFENDANT SARDAM AND DEFENDANT WHITT WERE SEATED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE and TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE DETENTION FACILITY, DEFENDANT SARDAM WAS READ HIS MIRANDA WARNINGS PER PRE PRINTED CARD AND ADVISED THAT HE UNDERSTOOD AND WOULD CONTINUE TO SPEAK WITH ME IN REFERENCE TO THE COCAINE THAT WAS DISCOVERED IN HIS POCKET. HE STATED THAT THE STRAW WAS USED ON HIS BIRTHDAY ON 033011 TO SNORT COCAINE, AND THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE THERE WAS STILL COCAINE INSIDE THE STRAW. DEFENDANT SARDAM WAS CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE WITH A $5,000.00 BOND AND ONE COUNT OF KNOWINGLY DRIVING WHILE LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED, WITH A $500.00 BOND PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. DEFENDANT WHITT WAS CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF PERMITTING AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON TO OPERATE A VEHICLE WITH NO VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE AND VIOLATION OF PROBATION. THE COCAINE WAS WEIGHED IN THE AMOUNT OF APPROXIMATELY ONE GRAM. IT WAS PACKAGED AND TURNED INTO CITRUS COUNTY EVIDENCE LOCKER. "If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at the Office of the Trial Court Administrator, Citrus County Courthouse, 110 North Apopka Avenue, Inverness, Florida 34450, Telephone (352) 341-6700, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.” *NOT-EXEMPT* |