What seemed to be a normal traffic stop turned into a multi-drug arrest after deputies found more than they bargained for during a search of the vehicle. The driver’s own attempt to speed things along ended up working against her.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, deputies conducted a traffic stop in Tampa, Florida, near East Fletcher Avenue and North 20th Street on August 27 at 5:13 p.m. The driver was visibly upset at the deputy and wanted the stop to be over quickly.
After some time, deputies developed probable cause during the stop and searched the vehicle. They found cocaine, oxycodone pills, MDMA pills, cannabinoid edibles, and a tray of sativa resin.
The driver, identified as 44-year-old Rebecca Evans, was arrested and now faces three counts of possession of a controlled substance, along with possession of cocaine and possession of cannabis sativa resin.
She Tried To Rush Things Along
Body camera footage shows Evans telling the deputy to just give her the ticket and saying this is all “petty stuff,” apparently hoping to move things along before a deeper search could occur.
Rather than speeding up the stop, her insistence only drew more attention to the situation, raising suspicion. Leading to the deputy asking Evans to get out of the car and searching her vehicle.
Why So Many Charges?
Evans is facing multiple charges due to all the different substances that were found. Under Florida Statute 893.13, possession of a controlled substance is charged as a third-degree felony, though the exact charge and penalty can vary depending on which schedule the drugs found fall under.
This means each distinct drug found during the search, cocaine, oxycodone, MDMA, and cannabis resin, results in its own separate possession charge, since each substance falls under its own classification. Hence why a single traffic stop with several different types of drugs resulted in several charges at once.
Commenters Had Given Some Advice
Reactions to the video leaned heavily into the irony of the situation. One commenter joked that the ones with the biggest mouths are usually the ones with something to hide, while another simply called it “riding dirty.”
A few others offered some advice, with one saying all Evans had to do was stay quiet, turn off the car, and hand over her license. Another put it more bluntly, suggesting she needed to stay calmer given everything she had in the car at the time.
This whole incident goes to show how just listening to deputies and following instructions does more good than bad in most cases.
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