Drug suspect had $245,000 in cash and tool box of gold and silver coins, Florida cops say

Mark Price
·2 min read
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A man suspected of drug trafficking had $245,476 in cash lying around his Florida home when sheriff’s deputies arrived, along with a tool box of gold and silver coins, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.

The cash was in small and large bills, and was so plentiful that the suspect had it stored in cooking pots, plastic shopping bags and carry-on bags, photos show.

Detectives also found a selection of illegal drugs that included 4,103 grams of cocaine; 148 grams of MDMA; 12 grams of fentanyl; 100 grams of MDPV (molly) and 220 grams of marijuana, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

The discoveries were made Friday, April 21, as deputies searched a single-family home near the 300 block of N. 24th Street in Fort Pierce, officials said. Fort Pierce is about 120 miles southeast of Orlando.

During the search, St. Lucie County detectives seized $245,476 in cash and a tool box containing gold and silver coins, the sheriff’s office says.
During the search, St. Lucie County detectives seized $245,476 in cash and a tool box containing gold and silver coins, the sheriff’s office says.

“During the search, detectives also seized ... a 2020 Dodge Charger 392 Scat Pack (valued at more than $52,000), an AK-47, Mini Draco, .44 Magnum revolver, 9 mm Canik pistol, Ruger 9mm pistol, Maverick 12-gauge shotgun, Smith and Wesson AR-15 rifle, and a Zastava SKS Rifle,” the sheriff’s office said.

The suspect was arrested and charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon; cocaine trafficking; drug trafficking in fentanyl; trafficking amphetamine; trafficking phenethylamines and possession of marijuana, jail records show. Bond was set at $153,000.

“This was no small operation, given the large amount of drugs, weapons and cash recovered. Some people will say that dealing drugs is a victimless crime; however, when you put drugs, weapons and cash together, this is the perfect combination for violence in our community,” St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said in the release.

“Friday’s arrest is one of the biggest in the last decade, and it is a big win for our agency and our community.”

Investigators did not offer details on the gold and silver coins, including the number found and their value.

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