A pair of men are facing multiple charges after deputies from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) found them in possession of cash, guns, and drugs in Brooksville.
HSCO Public Relations Manager Denise Moloney, said that shortly after 10:30 am on Sept. 7 detectives on a routine proactive patrol spotted a man riding a bicycle down the yellow centerline of California Street in Brooksville. Because the male was riding on the centerline, instead of the right side of the roadway (with southbound traffic), the detectives conducted a traffic stop.
During that stop deputies identified the bicyclist as 35-year-old Shane McKinney who was wearing a long-sleeved hoodie sweatshirt in more than 90-degree weather.
They also spotted a glass smoking pipe protruding from the hoodie’s large center pocket. The pipe was removed, and during a field test residue inside it tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine. A further search of the hoodie that McKinney was wearing revealed a small plastic baggie containing 0.3 grams of a white powdery substance and a plastic container containing 6.7 grams of a crystal-like substance. The substances field tested positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine, respectively.
McKinney was arrested at the scene and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Following his arrest McKinney asked detectives to take his bicycle to his home nearby.
As they walked up the home’s driveway, detectives saw a vehicle traveling toward them driven by Johnathan Griffin, who they had been attempting to locate in order to serve an arrest warrant.
Detectives made a traffic stop of the vehicle and arrested Griffin on that warrant. Griffin, who was handcuffed, tried to flee on foot, but detectives caught him almost immediately.
During a search of Griffin’s vehicle, detectives found 93.1 grams of methamphetamine, 1.5 grams of marijuana, 11.8 grams of crack cocaine, 54.6 grams of fentanyl, 36 oxycodone pills, 3 methadone, and 7 unknown pills. They also found $17,516 in cash and two firearms.
According to Moloney, Griffin who is a convicted felon, with four previous felony convictions is not permitted to possess firearms and/or ammunition.
Griffin, 32, was booked into the Hernando County Detention Center and charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, trafficking in fentanyl, possession of firearm by a convicted felon, possession of oxycodone, possession of controlled substance, possession of crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting a law enforcement officer w/o violence. He was also arrested on the active warrant for trafficking in methamphetamine.
Both Griffin and McKinney are being held on bond at the Hernando Detention Center. Their cases are pending.
