A routine traffic stop quickly turned into a drug bust in central Florida.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, deputies worked with the Drug Administration to make the arrest Thursday night in Deland, Fla., about 30 miles north of Orlando. The exact time when the incident occurred is not clear.
The VCSO Facebook post says John Schneider bought half a pound of methamphetamine in another county and sold a house in nearby Orange City, but was pulled over by another problem before he got there. .
Body camera footage shows a deputy approaching the 49-year-old suspect and his girlfriend, 49-year-old Lee Samberg, who is the registered owner of the vehicle.
In the video, deputies can be seen trying to issue a written warning before things escalate.
“He just dropped the bag,” says the lieutenant. “It looks like dope.”
Samberg is then heard expressing disappointment. “Oh man!” she says.
Schneider mumbles incomprehension about the drug not being his, but is interrupted by the lieutenant.
“We know it came from you,” says the law enforcement officer. “It’s in a funny camera. You can lie. You have nothing to lose.”
The search for the suspect’s drugs continues.
“Have you ever been forced on anything else?” the officer asks. “We will check it, but based on my training and experience… I already know what it is. Walk this road.”
Another gram of methamphetamine was found in Schneider’s right sock. The post contains a photo of the drug being weighed on a scale.
The Florida man was charged with methamphetamine trafficking, tampering with evidence and nonviolent resistance and was held on bail of $511,000. He was held on $500,000 bail.