A Tampa resident, Cedric Jabbar Lamb, 47, was taken into custody yesterday morning following a traffic stop on I-75. During the stop, law enforcement officers discovered approximately 28 pounds of methamphetamines concealed within the lining of a suitcase.
Early Wednesday morning, a Gainesville Police Department officer, in collaboration with the 8th Judicial Circuit – Domestic Highway Enforcement Task Force, pulled over a Ford Expedition on southbound I-75. The vehicle was stopped for tailgating and drifting out of its lane near mile marker 374.
The officer stated that Lamb was the driver of the vehicle, with three juvenile male passengers. Upon making contact with Lamb, the officer immediately detected the scent of fresh marijuana. According to reports, Lamb denied smoking marijuana and stated that there was no marijuana present in the vehicle.
Due to the suspicious odor, the officer proceeded to search Lamb and the vehicle. Lamb was then placed in the rear seat of the patrol car with the door open, while another officer stood nearby.
According to reports, the officer discovered some small pieces of marijuana “shake” on the front passenger floorboard. As the officer began searching the trunk of the vehicle, Lamb allegedly made a sudden escape from the patrol car and sprinted towards the Expedition, seemingly with the intention of fleeing in the vehicle.
According to reports, the officers engaged in a physical altercation with him for approximately three minutes. During the altercation, one officer used pepper spray while the other officer utilized her taser, which she accidentally dropped in the process.
According to reports, Lamb supposedly grabbed the taser, but the first officer managed to regain control and tossed it away from their reach. Once Lamb was apprehended and placed in handcuffs, he reportedly continued to resist arrest and attempted to escape from the officers.
The officer discovered multiple backpacks in the back of the vehicle, which were said to belong to the juveniles and did not contain any prohibited items. A suitcase allegedly contained clothing that seemed to belong to Lamb, and concealed within the liners of the suitcase were four sizable vacuum-sealed bags of crystal methamphetamine, amounting to approximately 12,721 grams or 28 pounds. The officer approximated that the drugs would be worth a minimum of $50,000.
Lamb is facing charges of trafficking in amphetamines and resisting an officer without violence. His criminal record includes 23 felony convictions, one of which was violent, and 13 misdemeanor convictions, one of which was violent.
He has spent time in state prison twice for drug trafficking and racketeering, with his most recent release occurring in 2021. Judge Aymer “Buck” Curtin has set bail at $105,000.
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