A Brewton man is facing felony drug charges after Santa Rosa County law enforcement discovered drug paraphernalia in his truck parked on private property near the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area.
Stephen Glenn McCurdy, 50, 520 Polk Rd., was arrested and charged with three counts possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia on Sunday, Feb. 18, when Santa Rosa County law enforcement approached his vehicle and ask permission to search it when he was acting suspicious as if trying to conceal something, according to a Santa Rosa County Sheriff's office report.
The suspect had his vehicle parked on Gordon Land Road where he and his female passenger, Lisa Lynne McCurdy, were approached by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Officer Brandon Lewis, who was patrolling the area.
Lewis contacted the driver and asked if they were the owners of the private property they were parked on. McCurdy said no and the officer asked if they knew who did own it, to which they said no, according to the report. McCurdy's truck had a dog box in the bed of the truck, common for people who hunted the area on the other side of a silver gate where the truck was parked.
Officer Lewis observed the driver reaching down on the right side of his driver's seat and moving around, as though he were trying to conceal something. Fearing for his safety, Officer Lewis asked the driver if he were trying to hide something to which the suspect answered no several times, the report said.
Officer Lewis asked the suspect to exit the vehicle, and if he could search the seat where the driver had been reaching down next to. McCurdy gave consent, the report said.
Officer Lewis searched and discovered a medicine bottle between the seats containing a crystal-like substance, one clear plastic baggy with a white powder residue, three yellow capsule shaped pills with 'T-194' inscribed and one white capsule with 'n35810' inscribed, according to the report.
The pipe field with the crystal-like substance tested positive for methamphetamine. The pills were identified as Acetaminophen and Oxycodone Hydrochloride, the report stated.
McCurdy was transported to Santa Rosa County jail and given a bond of $3,500.
