Deputies processing drug arrest discover evidence hidden in inmate's intimate area

ST PETERSBURG - St. Petersburg Police responded to a complaint of drug use behind a business on Monday morning. When they arrived, the officers observed a man and a woman smoking a substance in a pipe they were sharing. 

The officers detained both the man and the woman and processed the pipe and drugs in their immediate possession.

Branda Meeks was charged with possession of a controlled substance along with William Rizzo. Both were then taken to the Pinellas County Jail.

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What we know:

The detention staff at the Pinellas County Jail screen every incoming inmate for weapons and illegal substances.

As Meeks was being processed, the detention staff discovered that she had stashed a metal push rod in her bra. 

According to the arrest affidavit, the push rod had drug residue and was consistent with being used to pack a crack pipe. It was noted in the report that Meeks and her co-defendant had used a crack pipe in the original arrest.

The discovery of the push rod wasn’t the only thing found by the detention deputies. 

Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office

Due to the discovery of contraband, Meeks was subjected to a strip search.

That’s when deputies found that she was concealing more drugs in a baggie hidden inside her vagina.

Deputies recovered the baggie and submitted it as evidence for drug testing.

Meeks was charged with Introducing Contraband into a Detention Facility in addition to her other charges.

What's next:

Branda Meeks appeared in court on each of the charges on Tuesday and was assigned a public defender. She is currently being held under $6,000 bond while awaiting trial.