SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)— A Largo man was arrested after a K-9 alerted to more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana in an RV on I-75, the Florida Highway Patrol announced.
William Hicks, 55, was pulled over by troopers on Wednesday in Sumter County after failing to maintain a single lane of travel.
According to FHP, the trooper approached the truck, and Hicks said he was coming from Pensacola after visiting his father.
“While standing outside of the vehicle, I smelled a faint odor of fresh marijuana emitting from the pickup’s interior,” Trooper Lewis said in an arrest report.
Hicks was asked to step out of the vehicle after he was unable to provide proof of insurance or vehicle registration.
During this time, Trooper Pearce arrived at the scene to assist.
As Trooper Lewis began conducting a routine traffic-related query, Trooper Pearce deployed K9 Lobo around the outside of the truck and trailer.
According to the arrest report, during this time, Hicks began to wander away numerous times before asking to sit down in the grass.
“Mr. Hicks’ failure to follow my requests, preoccupation with the K9, and mounting anxiety added to my suspicion that a crime had been, was being, or was about to be committed,” Trooper Lewis said.
After completing the K9 sniff, Trooper Pearce notified Trooper Lewis that K9 Lobo had alerted to drugs in the RV.
Asking Hicks if there was a reason that K9 Lobo would alter to the trick and or camper trailer, Hicks paused before telling FHP, “No.”
Opening the front door of the camper, the troopers smelled a strong odor of marijuana and saw several suitcases lying on the floor.
According to FHP, opening the second door, troopers found a stack of large black plastic trash bags that were labeled.
Troopers removed 15 large bags of marijuana from the front portion of the camper and 47 large bags and a medium-sized paper bag of marijuana from the rear of the camper.
According to the arrest report, each bag contained around 20 or more one-pound vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana.
Hicks was charged with trafficking marijuana.
The total weight of the marijuana inside the camper was 2,025.70 pounds with packaging, FHP said.