The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Florida man with a prior felony drug conviction allegedly tried to explain that the heroin the police reportedly found in his car was chocolate laxative.
29-year-old Steven Coplen resides in Crestview, Florida. He was released in May after serving a prison term for theft and drug charges.
Around 3:30 pm on January 30, Coplen was driving his truck around town when he was pulled over for reportedly sporting expired registration tags.
When an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy approached Coplen, he was asked for his identification, proof of insurance, and registration information. The man allegedly produced an insurance card that had expired approximately a month and a half before the traffic stop.
A K9 unit arrived to assist the deputy, and the officers decided to use the dog to check if there were any indicators of drugs in the vehicle.
When the K9 officer inspected the truck, he allegedly alerted the officers that illegal substances may be present.
The officers checked the interior of the vehicle and reported that they found 10 pills assumed to be Oxycodone, a plastic baggie and digital scale with remnants of a white substance, and a total of 27-grams of what they purported was heroin.
When the substances were field-tested, the officers recorded in the police report that they confirmed positive for methamphetamine and heroin. They also said that the result of their internet search aligned with their belief that the pills were Oxycodone.
Coplen was asked about the purported drugs, and the man allegedly said the pills were not real. He additionally said that the dark substance was not heroin, but that it was chocolate laxatives.
Coplen was taken into custody, and he is expected to face felony charges for trafficking in heroin, possession of Oxycodone, and possession of paraphernalia.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a drug offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.