A Leesburg woman was arrested for drug possession and tampering with evidence after hiding a bag of marijuana in her pants during a traffic stop.
Kimbely Diane Brown, 47, was driving a red Hyundai Elantra pulled when she was pulled over at around 3 p.m. Monday at the Shell gas station located near 1705 U.S. Hwy 441, for having a rear window tint violation and an obscured license tag. Officers noticed the distinct odor of marijuana emitting from Brown’s vehicle, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
A K-9 unit responded to the scene and the dog gave a positive alert. Brown got out of the vehicle and allowed officers to search it, the report said.
Before the search, officers asked Brown if she had narcotics hidden on her person. She appeared hesitant and refused to answer the question. Due to concern that she was hiding narcotics, Brown was detained in handcuffs, according to the report.
Brown later informed officers of a small bag of weed she placed inside her pants at the beginning of the traffic stop, the report said. She said she has a medical marijuana card, but the marijuana she had on her person was not in the original packaging. She also stated that she did not want to get in trouble for it.
A female officer from the Fruitland Park Police Department was then asked to respond to the scene, the report said. She arrived and conducted a further search of Brown’s person, resulting in the location of a Ziplock baggie containing a green leafy substance inside Brown’s pants between her thighs. This tested positive for cannabis and weighed about 5.6 grams.
The UK native was subsequently charged with possession of marijuana and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. She was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $6,000.
