Defense for accused top heroin dealer in Manatee tries to suppress drug evidence
MANATEE -- The defense for one of Manatee County's top accused heroin dealers is claiming law enforcement can't use drugs seized from his car as evidence.
Cody Lambert, 25, and Cedric Houston, 35, are charged with conspiring to traffic in heroin; Lambert is being charged with trafficking in heroin in a consolidated court case.
Both have pleaded not guilty. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office has identified them as two main traffickers of heroin in the area.
Lambert was stopped by law enforcement in April 2015 for a window tint violation, according to an arrest warrant. Law enforcement had been following Lambert and Houston, and said they observed Lambert meet and buy drugs from Houston in a Bradenton parking lot.
After stopping Lambert for the window tint viola
tion, authorities found 6.8 grams that tested positive for heroin.
Lambert's defense claims the window tint was not illegal, and therefore the drugs found as a result of the stop are not admissible as evidence.
"The tint on the vehicle was legal, as it was installed by a tint dealer," the motion states.
The motion does not specify what the tint was on the vehicle's windows. Florida law mandates window tints must allow more than 28 percent of light in the front-side windows and more than 15 percent in the back-side and rear windows. Windows are not allowed to be more than 25 percent reflective.
Florida law requires installers and sellers of window tints to provide labels stating the materials abide by tinting laws, but drivers assume liability by driving any vehicle with an illegal tint.
The case is scheduled for case management Thursday. The prosecuting attorney said he couldn't comment on the ongoing case, but case management would likely set a date for Lambert's trial and not address the motion to suppress evidence.
This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 11:10 PM with the headline "Defense for accused top heroin dealer in Manatee tries to suppress drug evidence ."