A late-night trash toss near Wahneta turned a basic traffic stop into a felony case after a Polk County deputy pulled over a white 2016 Kia Sonata at Rifle Range Road and State Road 60. What started with littering citations ended with both the driver and passenger in handcuffs on trafficking and evidence-tampering charges, according to deputies.
According to the Tampa Free Press, the stop happened around 2:50 a.m. on May 28 and led to the arrest of 58-year-old James Allen Wesley of Lake Wales and 51-year-old Staci Nichole Campos of Seminole. Deputies reported finding baggage that contained methamphetamine and said a more thorough search of the Kia turned up additional drugs. In all, investigators say they seized 18.98 grams of meth. Wesley and Campos were booked on charges that include first-degree trafficking in methamphetamine, third-degree tampering with evidence, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, along with the littering citations.
State Law and the Trafficking Threshold
Florida law does not set the bar very high for meth trafficking charges. Under state statute, anyone caught with 14 grams or more of methamphetamine can be charged with trafficking, even if there is no allegation of sale. With deputies reporting a total of about 18.98 grams in this case, the amount falls squarely into that trafficking bracket.
The statute lays out mandatory minimum penalties tied to specific weight ranges. In the 14-to-28-gram tier, a conviction carries required minimum prison time and a mandatory fine. Those sentencing rules are spelled out in the Florida Statutes.
Where This Stop Fits in Polk's Enforcement Push
The early-morning stop is playing out against a backdrop of aggressive drug enforcement in Polk County. Earlier this year, the Polk County Sheriff's Office announced that multi-agency investigations dubbed Operation Bloodline and Operation Flatline had disrupted methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking into central Florida. Those cases, officials said, produced dozens of arrests and netted many pounds of meth believed to be tied to an out-of-state supply line.
That wider push helps explain why deputies sometimes pursue trafficking charges even when the drugs measured on scene are in the tens of grams rather than large bulk shipments. Under Florida law, once the weight threshold is crossed, the trafficking label comes into play.
What the Charges Mean
In addition to the trafficking counts, Wesley and Campos face tampering-with-evidence charges. That statute makes it a third-degree felony to alter, hide, or remove evidence in a way that could hinder an investigation. Details of the law are available on Online Sunshine, the state’s official statute portal.
Deputies also cited the pair for possession of drug paraphernalia, which is treated as a first-degree misdemeanor. That provision, which covers items used to ingest, package, or process drugs, is outlined in the Florida Statutes.
Wesley and Campos were transported to the sheriff's processing center and remain booked pending prosecution, according to local reports. Court records in the coming days will show whether prosecutors add charges, set bond, or seek to keep them detained while the trafficking case moves forward.
