A Weeki Wachee pair has been charged with drug possession after a K-9 from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) found the illegal substances during a traffic stop.
According to HCSO Deputy Public Information Officer (PIO) Michael Terry, after noon on Nov. 18, an HCSO K-9 deputy pulled over a vehicle traveling on Shoal Line Boulevard near Richard Drive in Weeki Wachee on grounds that it was traveling 49 miles per hour (mph) in a 35-mph zone.
When the deputy asked the driver, 70-year-old Stanley Schultz for permission to search the vehicle, he declined. The deputy subsequently asked Schultz and his passenger Deanna Thompson, 42 to exit the vehicle to allow K-9 Meck to conduct a free air drug sniff of it.
“The K-9 immediately alerted the deputy to the presence of narcotics,” Terry said.
On the passenger’s side, an eyeglass-style pouch containing two plastic baggies, a straw, and a smoking pipe that all tested positive for methamphetamine were found.
A gray bag that contained two crystal-like chunks that tested positive for methamphetamine was found on the driver’s side of the vehicle. Deputies also found a smoking pipe and a handgun in the bag.
When he was questioned. Schultz admitted that he owned the contents of that bag. He also told deputies that he was a convicted felon.
A search of Schultz’s jacket revealed another clear baggie containing a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. He claimed ownership of both the jacket and the drugs found in its chest pocket.
Further investigation also revealed that the vehicle Schultz was driving was not registered and displayed a license tag that was not assigned to it. Deputies also learned that Schultz’s driver’s license was suspended in 2017.
Schultz was arrested and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Possession of Ammunition by a Felon, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving While License is Suspended – Second or Subsequent Offense, and Unregistered Motor Vehicle.
He is being held at the Hernando County Detention Center.
Thompson was arrested and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and was booked into the Hernando County Detention Center. She has been released.
Both cases are pending.
