A routine traffic stop in Crestview led to the arrest of a local man on methamphetamine trafficking charges, according to a March 9 announcement from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began when Deputy Tanner Zant stopped a white Toyota Tacoma after it rolled through a stop sign at Shoffner Boulevard and Highway 90 East on February 17. The driver, identified as 49-year-old Paul Treaster of Crestview, told Zant that his license had been suspended since February 9 due to child support issues. During their conversation, Zant noticed Treaster appeared to be concealing something with his left foot on the floorboard.
K9 Deputy Caden Downing and K9 Vojak arrived at the scene shortly after. Vojak conducted a free-air sniff around the vehicle and alerted deputies to the presence of narcotics. This prompted a probable cause search of the truck, where deputies found approximately 100 grams of crystallized substance on the driver’s side floorboard. The substance later tested positive for methamphetamine.
After being read his rights, Treaster told deputies he was unaware of the drugs in his vehicle and claimed that a friend who had borrowed his truck in recent days was likely responsible for leaving them there. Despite this claim, Treaster was arrested for trafficking in methamphetamine.
The Sheriff’s Office said what started as an ordinary traffic violation resulted in a significant narcotics arrest.
