PORT ST. LUCIE – A traffic stop at the intersection of Southwest Rice Avenue and Southwest Chartwell Street, Port St. Lucie on Oct. 28 resulted in the arrest of a man for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia for retail sale, according to a Port St. Lucie Police Facebook posting.
Samuel Ray Torres, 27, of Port St. Lucie is in the St. Lucie County Jail as of Oct. 30 on a $22,500 bond for possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver (marijuana); and possession of drug paraphernalia for retail sale, according to the jail web site.
Officers with the PSL Police stopped Torres at that intersection and saw suspected marijuana throughout the vehicle, prompting a request for assistance from the Special Investigations Unit, according to the Facebook posting.
Upon further investigation, detectives found about nine pounds of marijuana, including multiple vacuum-sealed bags and individually packaged bags, along with $1,450 in cash. Additional suspected marijuana was also found loose throughout the vehicle’s seating and floorboard areas, according to the Facebook posting.
The investigation revealed that the marijuana had been packaged for distribution.
In addition to the narcotics and cash seized, the 2019 Kia Optima used to transport the marijuana was seized pursuant to the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act, according to the Facebook posting.