Security check leads to the arrest of a Fort Walton Beach man

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fl. ( WMBB ) – On Sunday, Okaloosa Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a security check that led to the arrest of a Fort Walton Beach man.

According to a news release, deputies spotted a man dressed in all black clothing standing in a neighborhood off Gap Creek Drive around 2:15 a.m.

Deputies said when the man spotted law enforcement, he tried to hide however they made contact and asked for identification. Deputies said while fumbling in his pockets he dropped a black digital scale with white residue on it.

Deputies identified the man as 24-year-old Benjamin Smith of Texas Street in Fort Walton Beach.

Deputies said the scale tested positive for methamphetamine.

A search of the immediate area turned up a .25 caliber handgun, a glass smoking device, and a plastic bag that tested for fentanyl, authorities wrote.

A criminal history check showed Smith has eight felony convictions, with the most recent on July 10, 2023.

Smith is now charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl), possession of drug paraphernalia, and more.

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