VERO BEACH — A man who decided to bag marijuana while sitting in a vehicle didn’t know two deputies who were nearby smelled the strong odor.
When deputies searched Rashad Mcgriff’s vehicle, they found the bag of marijuana, firearms, $2,000 in cash, other drugs and pills.
Mcgriff, 25, of the 1500 block of 18th Avenue Southwest, Vero Beach, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana more than 20 grams, possession of ecstasy, two counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
He is being held at the Indian River County Jail on $56,000 bond.
The two deputies already were in the area helping other deputies with a theft about 8:30 p.m. Monday in the 1400 block of 16th Street. While walking back to their patrol vehicle, the deputies walked past a car in a parking lot that had a strong odor of marijuana.
One of the deputies shined his flashlight at the driver in the vehicle. The deputy spotted McGriff, who was placing marijuana from a larger grocery bag into a smaller plastic bag.
When McGriff saw the deputies, he tried to throw the bag under the driver’s seat.
Deputies ordered Mcgriff out of the car, placed him under arrest and searched his vehicle. They found the following:
- Bag of marijuana weighing about 80 grams
- A .22 caliber stainless steel firearm with five live rounds
- Drug scale with a powdery white substance
- Marijuana bong
- Revolver with five live rounds
- $2,000 in cash
- Plastic bag with 29 pills of Tramadol and a plastic bag containing Methamphetamine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy
- Prescription bottle with three pills of Amoxcicillin and 10 pills of Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine
Deputies searched Mcgriff’s criminal record and found he has two previous convictions. The first was for resisting arrest with violence in May 2015 and the second was for fleeing and eluding in October 2011.
Mcgriff told deputies that he didn’t have a concealed carry license and that he didn’t have a prescription for the pills found in the vehicle except for Amoxcicillin. He was taken to the county jail for booking.