Trio in Sarasota found with more than 200 grams of synthetic drug, deputies say

Two men and one woman were arrested Monday night after deputies found in their car more than 200 grams of pentylone, an illegal synthetic stimulant commonly sold as MDMA, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives said they were initially alerted that a blue Ford F-150 with a Nebraska license plate would be traveling to the Tampa area on Monday night to purchase a large amount of MDMA.

Around 9 p.m., deputies spotted the truck and initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of University Parkway and U.S. 301. The driver, Kaveail Butler, 23, smelled of marijuana, deputies said, and was driving with a revoked license. The two others in the truck were T’Keyah Pace, 25, and Marquis Rivers, 32.

Deputies searched the vehicle and found a bag of marijuana of which both Pace and Rivers claimed ownership.

All three were arrested and transported to the Sarasota County Jail.

Later, when deputies arrived at the jail, they found another bag belonging to the group that contained an unknown substance. A field test initially identified the synthetic substance as MDMA, which weighed nearly 219 grams, deputies said. Later, though, chemists found that it was a drug known as pentylone, a stimulant commonly sold as MDMA.

Pace faces one count of trafficking in pentylone and possession of marijuana. She was being held at the Sarasota County Jail without bond.

Rivers faces one count of possession of marijuana, and Butler faces a felony charge of driving on a suspended license. Both men were released from the jail on Tuesday morning after posting bail.

The investigation is ongoing, and further charges are pending, detectives said.

This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Trio in Sarasota found with more than 200 grams of synthetic drug, deputies say."