What began as a simple traffic stop in Crestview last month quickly turned into something much bigger.

A white Toyota Tacoma rolled through a stop sign at the intersection of Shoffner Boulevard and Highway 90 East February 17th. The violation was minor, but it was enough for Deputy Tanner Zant to initiate a traffic stop.

During the initial conversation, the driver, 49-year old Paul Treaster of Crestview, admitted his driver’s license had been suspended since February 9 due to issues related to child support. But something else caught Deputy Zant’s attention—when Treaster opened his door, it appeared he was trying to conceal something with his left foot on the driver’s side floorboard.

Moments later, K9 Deputy Caden Downing arrived with K9 Vojak. During a free-air sniff around the vehicle, Vojak alerted to the odor of narcotics. That alert led to a probable cause search of the truck.

On the driver’s side floorboard—right where Treaster had been shifting his foot—deputies located approximately 100 grams of a crystallized substance, which later tested positive for Methamphetamine.

After being advised of his rights, Treaster claimed he didn’t know anything about the drugs in his truck, telling deputies that a friend had been borrowing the vehicle for the past few days and that the methamphetamine likely belonged to him.

Treaster was ultimately placed under arrest for trafficking in Methamphetamine.

What started as a routine stop for a traffic violation ended with a major narcotics arrest—another reminder that sometimes the smallest infractions reveal the biggest crimes.

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