A 25-year-old Lehigh man, Matthew Christopher Whited, was arrested early Tuesday after a traffic stop in Cape Coral led to the discovery of drugs and firearms in his car. The stop occurred around 12:45 a.m. on Aug. 20 near the 3800 block of Del Prado Blvd. S.
According to the police report, the officer noticed Whited reaching under the seat and appearing to manipulate an object as he approached the vehicle. When the officer ordered Whited to stay in the car, he initially exited without being prompted. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer smelled burnt marijuana and observed Whited continuing to reach for something under the seat.
Suspicious of possible illegal activity, the officer instructed Whited to place his hands on the steering wheel and ordered him out of the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed multiple firearms and large quantities of drugs, including:
One loaded firearm on the floorboard
A Draco firearm under a blanket in the backseat
Three additional firearms in the trunk
Over 500 grams of marijuana
More than 28 grams of powder cocaine
Over 1 gram of rock cocaine
Approximately .2 grams of fentanyl
A black scale with drug residue
$4,335 in cash
Empty baggies hidden under the driver’s seat
Whited was arrested on multiple charges, including trafficking cocaine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl, possession of firearms in the commission of a felony, possession of paraphernalia, and display of firearms during the commission of a felony.