Florida
Cocaine, guns reported found after gas station surveillance in Florida
A 37-year-old man was jailed June 29 after Port St. Lucie Police reported finding nearly 5 ounces of cocaine, other drugs and firearms at his home, according to an affidavit.
Wallick Cooper, of the 800 block of Southwest Monica Street in Port St. Lucie, was arrested on charges including a single count of cocaine trafficking; two counts of possession of controlled substance without prescription; and three counts possession of firearm or ammunition by a felon.
Police conducting surveillance June 25 at a gas station in the 300 block of Southwest Port St. Lucie Boulevard reported a Mercedes-Benz arrived and backed in. Detectives reported seeing a suspected drug transaction between the driver and a man who approached the driver’s window.
Investigators stopped the Mercedes after it left, alleging the window tint was illegal. Cooper, the only occupant, reportedly “immediately began lying about where he was coming from and where he was heading,” an affidavit states.
He let police search the vehicle. They found no drugs but turned up about $1,000 they suspected came from drug sales, though Cooper “smirked and denied accusations,” the affidavit states.
Cooper was released from the scene.
Police told his probation officer about the encounter, and the probation officer on June 29 reported finding suspected drugs in Cooper’s home.
Ultimately, police got a search warrant, and they reported finding about 4.92 ounces of cocaine; about 12.9 ounces of marijuana; three firearms; and a small amount of pills.
Cooper has a medical marijuana card, but hadn’t gotten pot since February, according to police. Police reported the recovered marijuana wasn’t packaged “consistent with legally possessed marijuana.”
Cooper was held July 1 in the St. Lucie County Jail on no bond, a jail official said.
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.