Florida man found with meth in his underwear tells police ‘there’s nothing wrong with drugs’

A Florida man with a heavily tattooed face, Thomas Carpenter, found himself in hot water after a routine traffic stop led to the discovery of drugs in his possession. The incident took place on March 18, when deputies pulled Carpenter over for a suspected traffic violation. Upon searching his vehicle, law enforcement officers found drug paraphernalia, marijuana, and what appeared to be methamphetamine. What made the situation even more concerning was the presence of two children and another woman in the car at the time.

Carpenter, 41, appeared to be under the influence of drugs during the encounter with the deputies, as he struggled to stay awake and seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness. His female passenger admitted to smoking marijuana with him before they were stopped by the authorities, but neither of them had a medical marijuana card.

While the woman was let go, Carpenter was arrested and taken to Putnam County Jail. During a strip search at the station, deputies made a shocking discovery – 11 small bags of methamphetamine hidden in the front of Carpenter’s underwear. The crystal-like substance weighed approximately 322.1 grams and tested positive for methamphetamine.

Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Carpenter tried to downplay the situation by telling deputies that “there’s nothing wrong with drugs.” However, he was hit with multiple charges, including amphetamine trafficking, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, smuggling contraband into a detention facility, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

This was not Carpenter’s first run-in with the law. He had only been released from prison in December 2024 after serving a three-year sentence for charges that included battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and fleeing from law enforcement.

In light of the presence of children in Carpenter’s car during the arrest, deputies forwarded a copy of the arrest report to the Department of Children and Families for further investigation. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of drug abuse and the impact it can have on individuals and their families.