Police Say Man Tried To Drop Meth Under Patrol Car During Search: 'Aww Man'

Florida's Volusia Sheriff's Office shared body camera footage on Facebook that showed what police discovered while patting down a man during a traffic stop.

The video, which was viewed 35,000 times since it was shared on August 19, shows officers speaking with and searching two suspects—identified as John Schneider and Lee Sanberg, both 49—before a bag of what police said was methamphetamine tumbled to the ground.

Andrew Gant, a spokesperson for the Volusia Sheriff's Office, told Newsweek in an email that officers initially conducted the traffic stop due to speeding, but, according to the caption published with the video, Schneider was charged with trafficking methamphetamine, tampering with evidence and resisting without violence. Sanberg was charged with conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine.

"Last night, deputies and detectives with the West Volusia Narcotics Task Force, VBI and Crime Suppression Teams arrested John Schneider (DOB 8/15/1973) after a traffic stop in DeLand where he attempted to drop a half pound of methamphetamine under a patrol vehicle," the caption said.

Tampering With Evidence

Tampering with evidence, law information website FindLaw said, occurs when someone "destroys, alters, conceals or falsifies any sort of evidence."

Penalties for tampering with evidence vary in different states, and the charge may range from a misdemeanor to a felony.

"The laws in your state and the nature of the alleged actions will determine the level of punishment," the organization said.

In Florida, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence is a third-degree felony, per the 2022 Florida statutes.

The Video

The video opens as one officer asks Sanberg to step out of the car, which she said was registered to her so that his partner can give her a written warning.

They walked to the front of the patrol car where Schneider stood with his hands in the air as he was getting patted down by another officer.

As the officer continued to pat him down, a bag is seen falling to the ground.

Gant said the bag fell from Schneider's pants.

"Put your hands behind your back," said the officer whose body camera footage was shared. "Do it now."

He began to handcuff Schneider.

"Aww man," Sanberg could be heard saying off-camera.

She was soon seen with her own hands behind her back.

"We're going to have to check that, but based on my training experience, I can already tell what it is," the officer told Schneider as he was placed in the backseat of the patrol car.

Officials with the department said that an additional gram of methamphetamine was reportedly found in Schneider's sock.

Officials said detectives believe Schneider had just purchased the half-pound of methamphetamine and planned to sell it.

Other Recent Arrests

A woman who is reportedly known for trafficking drugs was recently arrested in Spain and was allegedly found with 24 lbs of cocaine.

Police arrested a couple for allegedly having sex on a Ferris wheel, and a man was arrested after he shared a TikTok video showing himself illegally fishing in a national park.