LAKELAND, Fla. – A quick check of a license plate turned a routine patrol into a double arrest Friday afternoon after a deputy noticed something off about a red Ford F-150.
It was around 1:45 p.m. when a Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted the truck and trailer parked at the 7-11 on US 92 in Lakeland. The tag attached to the Ford came back as stolen, prompting a traffic stop just as the vehicle tried to exit the lot.
Behind the wheel was 43-year-old Christopher Marz, accompanied by passenger Mandy Sue Roberts, 38. When asked for his license, Marz reportedly handed over a Florida ID instead, admitting he didn’t actually have a valid driver’s license.
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The situation became more puzzling when the deputy inspected the rig further. A Michigan license plate bolted to the trailer was actually registered to the truck itself. Meanwhile, the tag displayed on the truck had been reported stolen during a separate trailer theft in Osceola County.
Despite the confusing swap, authorities confirmed the trailer Marz was hauling was not stolen.
The investigation quickly shifted from traffic violations to narcotics. Deputies say Marz was found in possession of a glass pipe and methamphetamine. Roberts, who had only just begun a three-year probation term for burglary on October 20, was found with marijuana.
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Both suspects were booked into the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
Marz faces charges for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, petit theft, and driving with a suspended or revoked license (DWLSR). Roberts was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, and violation of probation.
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