An Ocala woman reportedly had marijuana and a glass pipe hidden inside her body when she was being booked at the Marion County Jail for resisting an officer, and the man with her when she was arrested had drug charges filed against him.
Stephanie Tina Pagan, 52, of 6425 NE 28th Court, was charged with smuggling contraband into a detention facility, resisting an officer without violence, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and possession of drug equipment. Carl Foster, 59, whose address is listed as Port St. Lucie, was charged with possession of cocaine and possession of drug equipment.
At around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, a Marion County sheriff’s deputy observed a white Cadillac stopped in the middle of the left lane on SE 32nd Street, near the intersection with U.S. Hwy. 441, with its hazard lights on. As the deputy approached the vehicle, he observed a black female – later identified as Pagan – run from the far-right shoulder and get into the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop due to the car being stopped in an active traffic lane and to see if the driver needed assistance. When the deputy turned on the emergency lights, the driver – later identified as Foster – pulled into the parking lot of the RaceTrac gas station near the intersection of SE 32nd Street and U.S. Hwy. 441, the report said.
Foster, whose driver’s license and registration had two different addresses, said he had moved about three months ago to the address on his license and hadn’t had a chance to update his license. He said he is an Uber driver and he was stopped in the intersection to pick up a driver. While Foster was speaking with the deputy, a sheriff’s office K-9 unit showed up and the dog gave a positive indication for the presence of drugs in the vehicle, according to the report.
A probable cause search of the vehicle turned up a glass pipe under the driver’s seat, along with a small piece of burnt Brillo and a push rod. A small off-white rock-like substance was found in the center console. The substance tested positive for cocaine. Foster said he hadn’t smoked crack in over four months and didn’t know how the drug got into the center console, the report said.
Meanwhile, Pagan became uncooperative during the vehicle search, refusing to leave her hands on the dashboard and instead reaching into her bags and into her pants. Pagan resisted as she was removed from the vehicle by pulling her arms away. She was eventually restrained and placed under arrest, according to the report.
Pagan was searched and warned that if she had anything illegal on her, it would be found at the jail. She said she did not have anything illegal on her, the report said.
Once at the jail, Pagan was placed on a body scanner where booking staff could immediately tell she had a foreign object stuffed inside her. A strip search revealed a small bag of a green leafy substance and a glass pipe. The substance tested positive for cannabis, according to the report.
Pagan is being held on $4,000 bond, while Foster is being held on $3,000 bond. Both are due to appear in Marion County Court on March 2.