A waft of pot smoke led to the discovery of a cache of candy look-alike, marijuana-laced products and the arrest of a Spring Hill man on weapons possession and a variety of drug-related charges.
According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) on Oct. 24 detectives from the HCSO Vice and Narcotics unit visited a residence at 5109 Higate Rd. in Spring Hill which had been under investigation since March as the possible location for drug sales.
There, 23-year-old Tanah Charlson answered their knock and through the open front door they noticed the overwhelming smell of marijuana emanating from inside the house.
Charlson told investigators that he lived in the house with a roommate, but was not able to tell detectives that person’s name. At the same time, found no evidence that the unnamed roommate existed.
When he was questioned about the strong marijuana odor coming from inside the house, he told detectives that there was marijuana inside the house but that “it is not a grow house.”
He then asked investigators if he could gather a few of his things and leave the premises. When they said he could, Charlson picked up the keys to his vehicle and what looked like a marijuana joint.
Detectives arrested Charlson when he took possession of the joint in their presence. At the time of the arrest, they also saw narcotics and drug paraphernalia inside the house, and filed for a warrant to search the premises.
Acting on that warrant, they found inside the house several drug items packaged to resemble commercially available candy items available at retail stores.
They also found a Glock 19 9 pistol with a 30-round ammunition magazine; a Ruger LCR .38 special revolver; 24.3 lbs of marijuana, 10 oz of powder cocaine; 84 Xanax pills totaling 11.1 grams; 90.3 lbs. of hashish and various drug paraphernalia. A large sum of cash was also seized from the property, the HCSO said.
Charlson was charged with trafficking cocaine 28g or more; trafficking in hashish, a controlled substance; possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana; possession of the controlled substance alprazolam; possession of drug paraphernalia, personal possession place/structure/conveyance for the sale/traffic manufacture controlled substance; possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
He is being held at the Hernando County Detention Center on $191,000 bond. The case remains pending.
