FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — A traffic stop by an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy who spotted a traffic violation Sunday led to a Crestview area man facing four felonies and two misdemeanor charges.
36-year-old Craig Golden was pulled over on South Avenue near Fort Walton Beach and told the deputy he didn’t have a valid driver license, according to a report by the Okaloosa County’s Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy also noticed the smell of marijuana coming from inside the car.
A probable cause search turned up a black pipe “zip” style shotgun behind the passenger seat within Golden’s reach, a lockbox with approximately 15 grams of methamphetamine and jeweler’s bags, a shopping bag with suspected spice, and a digital scale in a candy bag, according to the report.
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A check showed Golden had 46 past felony charges and is a registered sex offender who had not provided information as required as to his new vehicle, a 2013 Jaguar he says was gifted to him.
Golden told the deputy he found the “zip” gun in his yard and did not know what it was.
Golden was taken to the OCSO Booking facility. Although Golden reportedly had been given a warning about contraband, the deputy found a one-gram bag of suspected marijuana on the back seat of the patrol car.
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Golden’s charges include trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, sex offender violation- failure to report a change in vehicle ownership, smuggling contraband into a detention facility, and driving with a suspended or revoked license.
