Florida man found with kilos of cocaine and gun during traffic stop, SC cops say
A Florida man was arrested on drug and weapons charges Tuesday following a traffic stop on a major highway running through South Carolina, according to the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
Ewart Everton Brown — a 55-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Florida resident — was charged with trafficking cocaine and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
On Tuesday, Brown was driving a BMW SUV that was pulled over by deputies for speeding on Interstate 95, according to the release.
Deputies were suspicious of criminal activity and searched the SUV, finding two kilos of cocaine and a Beretta 9mm pistol, the sheriff’s office said. A photo shared by the sheriff’s office shows stacks of money with the confiscated drugs and gun, along with an I-95 road sign.
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Brown was taken to the Florence County Detention Center, and he remains behind bars as no bond has been set, jail records show.
If convicted on the felony drug trafficking (over 400 grams) charge, Brown faces a maximum punishment of 30 years in prison and a $200,000 fine, according to South Carolina law. A conviction on the weapons charge could mean a mandatory 5-year prison term for Brown, according to South Carolina law.
He’s scheduled to return to court on Oct. 3, according to Florence County judicial records.
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This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Florida man found with kilos of cocaine and gun during traffic stop, SC cops say."
