Traffic stop yields drugs and law enforcement officials arrest three people

Law enforcement officials arrested three people from a traffic stop and seized a significant amount of drugs from the vehicle.

Authorities said they were patrolling the 2700 block of West State Road 40 earlier this week when they noticed a tint on a BMW that appeared to be too dark. A traffic stop was made in the 1900 block of West SR 40 by the officers.

The driver, Ralph Kenneth Richardson, was told by law enforcement officials why they stopped the vehicle. Richardson told a law enforcement official that he knew the tint was too dark. The windows were checked and it showed the tint was illegal, officials said.

Drugs found

As officials were reviewing Richardson's driver's license, a K-9 officer was called to check the vehicle. Once at the scene, the dog detected drugs in the car.

Richardson and the two others in the car, Ciara Loree James and Thomas James Morris Jr., were asked to get out of the car. The vehicle was searched and officials found illegal drugs in the trunk.

Officers found seven separate sealed vacuum bags that had seven pounds of methamphetamine and 1.2 pounds of marijuana.

Richardson, 44, of Salt Springs, told officials in an interview that he knew about the drugs that were in the vehicle. He was detained and charged with trafficking meth over 200 grams and possession of marijuana over 20 grams.

Arrest

Loree, 29, was asked if she had any weapons on her and she said she had a firearm in a black bag, officials said. The bag was searched and inside was a gun and two plastic bags of meth.

Although the Salt Springs woman had a valid permit to carry a gun, she cannot do so while committing a felony, authorities said. She was charged with possession of meth and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Morris told authorities he too was armed. A firearm was located in one of his pockets. The 44-year-old Fort McCoy man said he did not have a concealed weapons license. Officials said the man does have a weapons license, but it expired in 2017. He was charged with not having a concealed permit.

The three individuals were taken to the Marion County Jail for booking. Morris has been released on $2,000 bond, according to jail records. The same records show James posted her $7,000 bond and is released from the lock up. Richardson's bond is set at $205,000, jail records indicate. As of Saturday, he was still at the jail.

Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118, austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Authorities arrest three people from the find