Florida deputies bust alleged drug dealer after setting up meeting for him to collect his mislaid billfold.
Sean Michael Edwards (Polk County Sheriff's Office)
They say a fool and his money are soon parted.
Yet a Florida man wanted for meth trafficking will be wishing he’d stayed separated from at least some of his cash after his lost wallet gave cops the perfect chance to nab their man.
Winter Haven resident Sean Michael Edwards came to the attention of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 18 – all thanks to a virtuous citizen who handed in the 36-year-old’s mislaid billfold, complete with his ID and $565 inside, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
After doing “some digging,” deputies discovered that Edwards had a felony meth trafficking warrant out for his arrest, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post Sunday.
They then devised a plan to reel in the alleged drug dealer by getting him to come collect his lost property three days later. The only question was whether Edwards would fall for the ruse.
“A text message was sent to Sean, informing him that we had his wallet,” the post said. “We may have forgot to mention we were deputies though. Silly us.”
An unwitting Edwards agreed to meet within 20 minutes at a 7-Eleven in Winter Haven, saying he’d arrive by motorcycle, officials said.
“Deputies laughed, and laughed, and laughed,” the post continued. “They had Sean’s license and knew he wasn’t licensed to drive a motorcycle.”
Edwards was arrested at the 7-Eleven as soon as waiting deputies spotted him pulling in. A helicopter was also called in as a precaution, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Carrie Horstman said.
A police search of Edwards and his white motorcycle revealed $3,132 in cash and a plastic bag with more than 2 ounces of a white crystalline substance that later tested positive for meth, according to an affidavit obtained by the Sentinel.
Edwards was charged with multiple felony drug counts, including trafficking methamphetamine, as well as driving a motorcycle without a license, a misdemeanor.
“On a positive note, Sean will finally get his wallet back when he’s released,” deputies added on Facebook. “Whenever that may be. It’s in a brown paper bag in inmate property.”
Edwards was released from the Polk County Jail last Wednesday after posting $111,750 bond, court records show.
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