Stolen Vehicle from Maryland Recovered on I-95, Two Traffic Stops Result in Narcotics Arrests
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies made 16 arrests this past weekend between 6 p.m. on Friday, August 2, 2024, and 6 a.m. on Monday, August 5, 2024. They handled 555 calls for service and made 85 traffic stops.
Stolen Vehicle from Maryland Recovered on I-95
On Saturday morning, August 3, Deputy M. Dorsey conducted a traffic stop on I-95 after he observed a blue Infiniti Q60 for a traffic violation.
A check on the Florida tag revealed that it expired on April 30, 2024. The driver stated that it was a dealer plate and that he worked for the dealership and claimed he was just transporting the car. Further, because it was a dealer tag, he said he did not have a registration or insurance.
During the investigation, the driver, Nishon Rainner, provided a fraudulent title for the vehicle. The VIN listed on the title revealed the VIN plate itself was reported stolen in Margate, Florida in October 2022. Upon further inspection, the chassis VIN was reported stolen in Laurel, Maryland on March 29, 2024.
Rainner, 40, of Lauderdale Lakes was arrested for Grand Theft Motor Vehicle and Attempting to Pass Fraudulent Title on Stolen Vehicle. He is being held on $40,000 bond.
Nishon Rainner (Flagler County jail mugshot)
“This guy made a mistake thinking he could drive a stolen vehicle through Flagler County, trying to fool one of our deputies and get away with it,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “He learned the hard way he can’t fool the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and he is now spending some time at the Green Roof Inn where he belongs.”
View the bodycam of the arrest here: https://bit.ly/3A8sBhg
Traffic Stop Leads to Discovery of Sizeable Amount of Narcotics and Cash
Deputy Wolfe conducted a traffic stop shortly after 9:30 p.m. on August 3, at Lupi Court and Frontage Road, after observing a suspicious vehicle parked behind a closed business with no headlights on.
Immediately upon exiting his patrol car, Deputy Wolf noticed a very strong odor of freshly burnt marijuana coming from the other vehicle. Upon questioning the two occupants, the driver’s answers were very evasive and did not make sense, and the passenger was slowly picking off small pieces of marijuana shook off of her legs.
During a search of the vehicle, deputies found marijuana shaking throughout the interior, including on the floorboards, seats, dashboard, center console, cup holders, and other areas of the vehicle. A total of 770.75 grams of marijuana, eleven 1oz jars of hashish, and $22,535.00 in cash were located.
A variety of U S dollar bills are neatly arranged on a countertop The bills are placed in several rows and columns, including different denominations of $, $, $, and $ A small baggie is visible in the top left corner
A cluttered surface displays various items, including several bags of cannabis, jars of cannabis products, a stack of cash bound with a rubber band, a box of sandwich bags, a digital scale, and a ruler A large brown roll of paper sits behind the items
|
|
|
The driver, Andrew Strutynsky, 19, and passenger, Isabella Brown, 19, both of Palm Coast, were arrested for Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Hashish, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Loitering and Prowling. Strutynsky has posted a $5,650.00 bond and Brown has posted $6,250.00 and was released from the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.
Driver Admits to Marijuana in Vehicle After I-95 Traffic Stop, Passes Out During Arrest
Deputy M. Dorsey was back to conducting proactive patrol along I-95 on Sunday afternoon, August 4 when he observed a vehicle traveling southbound at a high rate of speed. The vehicle also made sudden lane changes, cutting off multiple vehicles.
When a traffic stop was conducted, a strong odor of burnt marijuana emitted from inside the vehicle. The driver, identified as Anthony Lorenzo James, Jr., stated the vehicle was uninsured appeared to be extremely nervous, and had trouble following requests. He later stated he was “sick,” wanted to be “honest,” and spontaneously uttered that there was marijuana in the vehicle.
Along with having 14.2 grams of marijuana, 2 Oxycodone pills and a firearm were also located during a search of the vehicle. The firearm had a magazine inserted loaded with 14 rounds and an additional round in the chamber. Additionally, approximately $472 in cash was located throughout the vehicle and in James’s wallet.
James was also showing very unusual behavior, needing to sit down and being unable to understand or follow instructions. As his condition deteriorated, medical personnel were requested.
James, 28, of Miami Gardens, Florida was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Schedule II – Oxycodone), Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony, Possession of Marijuana under 20 grams, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
James was also issued citations for careless driving, no use of a turn signal, no vehicle insurance, front driver-side window tint below 28%, rear driver-side window tint below 15%, and windshield tint below AS1 line.
Shortly after being arrested, James passed out multiple times and was transported to Advent Hospital North, where it was learned that he was having severe medical complications and was admitted for further treatment.
“If he had not been pulled over first, this driver could have very likely passed out while driving on what is already our number one serious crash location in Flagler County,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “There is no telling what this driver took based on what we found in his car. Deputy Dorsey probably saved his life and those of innocent drivers.”
View the bodycam of the arrest here: https://bit.ly/4danPhV
