Inglis man arrested during Homosassa traffic stop on drug trafficking charges

Citrus County Detention Facility
Lecanto, Florida

Joshua Gabriel Moretz, 30, of Inglis, FL, was arrested by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, Sept. 6 at 10:25 am, during a traffic stop in Homosassa, due to a deputy noticing that the front seat passenger, Ms. Marcacite Bennett, was not wearing a seatbelt, and recognizing the driver as Mr. Moretz, who has no valid driver's license (suspended June 17, 2020) and an active, unspecified Levy County arrest warrant.

The deputy activated his sirens and lights to conduct a traffic stop at W. Rosedale Dr. and S. Sonny Ter., but the vehicle briefly accelerated, then failed to maintain a single lane and traveled approximately 300 yards before it stopped at S. Corona Way, according to the report, which also stated that all four occupants were reaching around the interior of the vehicle in what appeared to be an attempt to conceal something. The back seat occupants were listed as Ms. Allen on the driver's side and Mr. Blevins on the opposite side.

The deputy also reported that he smelled cannabis inside the vehicle when Mr. Moretz rolled down the driver's side window, and he saw drug paraphernalia in clear view inside the vehicle, which included a digital scale, capped and uncapped needles, cannabis 'roaches' (partially smoked cannabis cigarettes) and small, empty clear plastic baggies commonly used for packaging drugs.

The deputy found a cloth bag on the front passenger seat floorboard that contained 9.09 grams of heroin, 2.98 grams of crack cocaine, 118.8 grams of methamphetamine, 4.4 grams of cannabis, and 2 glass smoking pipes.

The passengers told the deputy, that when the deputy started to conduct the traffic stop, Mr. Moretz tossed the cloth bag to the back seat, and Ms. Allen tossed the bag back to the front passenger seat.

Inside the right front pocket of Mr. Moretz's cargo shorts, the deputy located $1,897 in cash.

Mr. Moretz was charged with 3 counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, driving while license knowingly suspended or revoked, second offense; possession of cannabis less than 20 grams, trafficking in heroin, trafficking in methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia ($84,000 bond).