A Stock Island man was arrested on Thursday after he was pulled over for traffic infractions and deputies discovered he had opioid pills in a prescription bottle without a label.
Steven Carl Sanchez, 48, was charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
Around 12:35 p.m., a deputy patrolling Stock Island noticed a truck make several turns and lane changes without using a turn signal, and after running the license plate he discovered the registration was expired. The deputy stopped the vehicle and met with the driver, identified as Sanchez, and explained the reason for the stop. According to the report, Sanchez said the front turn signal light bulb had broken, and the rear signal no longer worked.
The deputy issued Sanchez warnings for the infractions, and then asked for consent to search Sanchez’s vehicle. Sanchez reportedly agreed, stating there was nothing illegal in the vehicle. However, the subsequent search revealed a prescription pill bottle with a torn-off label, according to the report. The deputy was able to identify its contents as being two and a half hydrocodone pills, a schedule II controlled substance.
Sanchez stated that the pills were his and further said he had an active prescription. He explained the label to the pill bottle had “rubbed off” because it was about 8 months old. However, he did not have the prescription for the pills on him.
Due to the circumstances, Sanchez was arrested and transported to the Monroe County Detention Center. He was released the following day.
Information in the Crime Report is obtained from reports provided by area law enforcement agencies.
If you have information that could help solve a crime in the Florida Keys, call Crime Stoppers, 800-346-TIPS.