A late-night traffic stop at a Wildwood McDonald’s derailed an Ocala couple’s attempt to sell an old refrigerator—and the more than an ounce of methamphetamine hiding within.
Matthew Daniel Hirschlein, 50, and Stephanie Hirschlein, 45, were detained early Sunday morning when their pickup truck was pulled stopped in the fast-food restaurant’s parking lot.
According to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy observed the couple’s white 2003 Chevrolet S10 pickup truck exiting the Pilot Travel Centre along Interstate 75 at 12:25 a.m. Sunday. The truck did not stop before entering the roadway, forcing the deputy to conduct a traffic stop at the nearby McDonald’s at 809 State Road 44.
Matthew Hirschlein informed the deputy that they were on their way to sell the refrigerator sitting in the truck’s bed. However, the deputy observed that the pair appeared extremely anxious and aggressively avoided eye contact during the interview.
A K-9 unit from the Wildwood Police Department was dispatched to the site and instantly detected the stench of narcotics emanating from the vehicle.
A search of the truck bed turned out a red Folgers coffee container tucked inside the refrigerator. Within the coffee container was a clear baggie holding a white crystalline material. Deputies also discovered two unmarked prescription bottles wrapped in a towel on the driver’s side of the truck bed.
The white material tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 29.8 grammes, which is the trafficking amount. The medications were identified as acetaminophen and hydrocodone bitartrate.
Matthew Hirschlein was arrested on felony counts of methamphetamine trafficking, possession of a vehicle used to transport drugs, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was brought into the Sumter County Detention Centre, and a bond was set at $21,000.
Stephanie Hirschlein was arrested on allegations of methamphetamine trafficking, controlled substance possession, and drug paraphernalia. She was also booked into the correctional centre, with a bond set at $18,500.
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