A simple traffic violation in Mulberry on Tuesday night swiftly escalated into the arrest of two men on several drug charges after a Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) deputy discovered methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana.
On Tuesday, October 7th, about 9:00 p.m., a PCSO deputy saw a blue Chevy pickup truck failing to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of State Road 60 and Bailey Road.
After initiating a traffic stop, the scenario changed when the pickup truck came to a halt. The deputy observed the passenger, later identified as 49-year-old Vincent Giarratano of Mulberry, chuck a glass object out the window and onto the grassy roadside.
The deputy found the abandoned device, which turned out to be a glass pipe containing methamphetamine residue.
The driver was identified as Joshua Lee Christmas, 40, of Riverview. As Christmas was removed from the truck, the deputy discovered a baggie stashed beneath him. Inside this baggie were three smaller baggies, each carrying a mix of methamphetamine and cocaine. Christmas was also found with marijuana.
Both Christmas and Giarratano were arrested and taken to Polk County Jail.
Giarratano is charged with possession of methamphetamine, tampering with evidence, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Christmas was arrested on multiple offenses, including possession of methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and driving without a valid license.
Leave a Reply