Pace                                                                                                Rivers                                                                                               Butler

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people Monday night after deputies recovered more than 200 grams of an illegal synthetic drug.

Detectives were initially alerted to a blue Ford F-150 with a Nebraska license plate that would be travelling to the Tampa area Monday night to purchase a large amount of MDMA. At approximately 9:00 p.m., patrol deputies located the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of University Parkway and U.S. Highway 301 in Sarasota. The driver, identified as Kaveail Butler, DOB 04/09/94, smelled of marijuana and was driving with a revoked license. Two other occupants of the vehicle were identified as T’Keyah Pace, DOB 06/12/92, and Marquis Rivers, DOB 04/07/85. Deputies conducted a search of the truck and located a bag of marijuana to which Pace and Rivers both claimed ownership. All three were arrested and transported to the Sarasota County Jail. When deputies arrived at the jail, they located a bag with an unknown substance in the backseat of one of the patrol vehicles. A field test initially identified the substance as MDMA and weighed nearly 219 grams. Later, chemists with sheriff’s office Drug Lab determined the substance was a synthetic drug known as Pentylone, commonly sold as MDMA.

 

Pace is charged with Trafficking in Pentylone and Possession of Marijuana. She is held at the Sarasota County Jail without bond. Rivers is charged with Possession of Marijuana and Butler is charged with felony Driving While License Suspended. Both were released Tuesday morning on bond. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending.