What started as a January 2015 arrest for stealing a Volkswagen Beetle ended in a woman’s conviction in 12th Judicial Circuit Court.
Hope A. Williamson, 34, of St. Petersburg, pleaded no contest to charges of grand theft and possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, stemming from her arrest in the Walgreens parking lot, 3200 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach.
Judge Stephen Dakin found Williamson guilty Jan. 28 and sentenced her to 24 months probation and credit for jail time served and, for the drug offense, suspended her driver’s license for one year.
Police also arrested another occupant in the VW, Jason Woods, formerly of Seminole, but the prosecutor declined to file charges.
The charge that Williamson introduced contraband to a detention facility was dropped in February 2015.
The case began when the Holmes Beach Police Department was tipped by a Walgreens employee who, while outside, overheard the couple in a red VW talk about a drug deal.
Police searched the vehicle and found a crack pipe tucked into Williamson’s seat. Law enforcement searched Williamson and found four Valium pills.
As part of Williamson’s probation, she was ordered to pay $818 in court costs, $500 in restitution to the VW’s owner and $3,339 to an insurance company.
Dakan’s order also allows for early termination of the probation and transferred supervision to Pinellas County.