A Silver Springs man and Ocklawaha woman were arrested after drugs and a needle were found inside their vehicle during a traffic stop.
On Wednesday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy was at the Pack A Sack at 18200 E Highway 40 in Silver Springs.
The deputy observed a vehicle driven by a man, later identified as 51-year-old Wayne Dana Stephens, leaving the parking lot and heading onto the highway without stopping.
The deputy caught up to the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop at the 17000 block of E Highway 40.
Stephens stated that he did not have a valid driver’s license. When the deputy went to run a record’s check on the vehicle, an MCSO detective also arrived on scene.
The detective observed Stephens and a passenger, later identified as 32-year-old Stephanie Lee Kapp, making movements with their hands near the center console.
According to the MCSO report, Kapp’s hands were visibly shaking.
The detective walked to the driver’s side of the vehicle and saw Stephens reaching around the center console. Stephens stated that he dropped a cigarette and was picking it back up.
When asked if the vehicle had any firearms, Stephens said ‘no’ and opened the center console to show the detective that no weapons were inside.
Inside the console, the detective observed a needle. Stephens admitted to the detective that he does not have any medical conditions that would require a needle.
Kapp informed the detective that she had a Subutex pill in her backpack which was near her feet on the floorboard. She said that the medication belonged to a relative.
A search of the backpack revealed a pill later identified as buprenorphine, a generic brand of Subutex that is available by prescription only. A plastic baggie and rolled up piece of paper were also found inside the backpack.
Before the vehicle was towed away, the deputy searched it and found an uncapped needle with a brown liquid on the floorboard near the driver’s seat. The brown liquid was also inside the center console.
A field test of the liquid later confirmed the presence of heroin and fentanyl.
Stephens and Kapp were both arrested and transported to Marion County Jail.
Stephens was released on $4,000 bond and faces a felony charge for drug possession along with misdemeanor charges for possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license. A court date has not been scheduled yet for him, according to jail records.
Kapp is currently being held on $3,000 bond. She faces a felony charge for possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia. A court date has been scheduled for her at 9 a.m. on January 11, 2022, according to jail records.