Traffic stop nets 170 grams of meth in Sarasota, cops say

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office took 170 grams of methamphetamine off the streets early Tuesday and deputies say a convicted Florida felon has been charged.

According to the arrest report, Juan Martinez, 37, of Arcadia, exited Interstate 75 and was heading west on Bee Ridge Road just after 4 a.m. when a deputy noticed his tag light was out. The deputy got close enough to run the tag and discovered the tag didn’t belong to the sedan Martinez was driving, according to the report.

After making the traffic stop, Martinez could not provide proof of insurance or registration, telling deputies he had recently purchased the vehicle.

As the deputy continued talking with Martinez, “I could see his hands visibly shaking and noticed it was difficult for him to answer simple questions,” the deputy reports.

Martinez initially was arrested on a charge of driving while license suspended and having an illegal tag on the vehicle. During an ensuing search of the vehicle, deputies say they found a handgun and a cloth bag containing white powder, as well as a digital scale and about 100 empty plastic baggies.

The powder tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 170.4 grams, according to the report.

A further search of the vehicle turned up a second handgun, more baggies, four more scales, glass pipes and several dozen rounds of various ammunition, deputies say.

The report states Martinez has nine prior felony convictions.

He now faces more felonies, including armed trafficking in methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, as well as several misdemeanors.

He was booked into the Sarasota County jail and remained in custody without bond as of Wednesday afternoon.

This story was originally published July 31, 2019 at 1:47 PM.