Cocaine found in prison cell

Posted 2/26/21

An inmate was charged with possession after cocaine was found under his bed.

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Cocaine found in prison cell

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OKEECHOBEE — An inmate in the county jail was charged with possession after cocaine was found under his bed. Jonathan Hunt, 33, Northwest First Street, reportedly tested positive for drugs, and as a result, his cell was searched.

According to the report made by Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Brady Rogers, he responded to the jail on Feb. 22 at approximately 4 p.m. Rogerse spoke with Deputy Michael Leininger, who told him about finding the cocaine. Rogers tested the substance, and it field tested positive for cocaine. It weighed less than 0.01 grams.

Rogers then spoke to Hunt who told him he was in court when deputies searched his cell. When asked if there was anything in his cell that should not be there, Hunt said he was not that type of person and would tell him if something was out of place. Hunt said he believed he was being set up by someone else in the jail.

Hunt was charged with possession of cocaine and introducing contraband into a detention facility. His bond was set at $5,000.

Hunt is in jail on charges of escape, battery on law enforcement and resisting an officer with violence. He was arrested in January by Deputy Richard Varnadore after he was reportedly found walking down the middle of Southeast 28th Street just before 11 p.m. According to Varnadore’s report, the deputy stopped Hunt and asked for identification. Hunt seemed nervous and wanted to leave. When Varnadore contacted dispatch, he was told Hunt had two active warrants for failure to appear. When the deputy attempted to grab Hunt’s wrist, Hunt punched him in the arm and ran down the sidewalk. Hunt climbed a barbed wire fence, and Varnadore deployed his taser. Hunt fell to the ground which broke the connection. Hunt got up and ran, and the deputy again tased him, but Hunt broke the connection again. Varnadore and other deputies chased Hunt for about two miles across canals and ponds before finally capturing him.

county jail, OCSO, arrest

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