A routine traffic stop on Oct. 2 led Zephyrhills Police to arrest 27-year-old Dalton James Burkett of Zephyrhills on multiple drug and firearm-related charges after officers reportedly found narcotics and a loaded handgun in his possession and residence.
According to a Zephyrhills Police Department report, officers conducted a traffic stop on a blue Toyota sedan near the intersection of North Avenue and Village Walk after the driver failed to obey a traffic control device and made an aggressive turn without signaling. During the stop, a K-9 unit performed a free-air sniff around the vehicle and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.
A subsequent search uncovered multiple controlled substances. Police say Burkett, the front passenger, was found with a candy corn sock containing a glass pipe with residue that tested positive for methamphetamine. Additional searches revealed 9.5 grams of fentanyl, 6 grams of MDMA, and 5.4 grams of marijuana in various containers.
A female passenger in the rear seat was also found with 7.3 grams of methamphetamine and a glass pipe concealed in her clothing. Burkett reportedly admitted after being read his rights that all of the narcotics in the vehicle belonged to him.
Following his arrest, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant at Burkett’s Zephyrhills residence later that day. Inside, officers found a loaded SCCY 9mm handgun, additional ammunition, and drug paraphernalia, including a glass methamphetamine pipe and a digital scale containing fentanyl residue.
A records check revealed that Burkett is a convicted felon, prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. He was taken into custody and transported to the Pasco County Jail in Land O’ Lakes.
Burkett faces multiple charges, including possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, MDMA, and marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
