It was business as usual for Cole Gamble last Thursday selling about a half pound of marijuana in three hours — before getting pulled over by Florida Atlantic Police.

The 18-year-old Palm Beach State student was pulled over on NW 8th Avenue on FAU Boulevard for a traffic stop when the police officer noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from Gamble’s vehicle.

When the officer questioned Gamble about the smell of marijuana, he said that “a friend had recently been in the vehicle with marijuana on him,” according to a police report on the incident.

The officer subsequently asked Gamble if “he would mind if officers conducted a search of the vehicle,” as stated by the report. Gamble refused but as permitted under Florida law, the police searched the car anyway.

While searching his car, FAU PD found a glass bong, a black digital scale, a large baggie with cannabis residue and a “blank, forged, stolen, fictitious, counterfeit, or unlawfully issued South Carolina driver’s license or identification card.”

Gamble then told the officer that he had a firearm in the vehicle and a heat-sealed baggie, which previously contained a half pound of marijuana that he had sold three hours prior to getting pulled over.

“He distributes the marijuana to students at FAU,” the report said.

After being arrested and brought back for questioning, he told FAU PD that he carried a gun because drug dealing is “dangerous.”  

Gamble is facing charges of possession of marijuana under 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a fraudulent driver’s license and carrying a concealed firearm during the commission of a felony.

His court date is set for Feb. 6, 2017 and will be held at the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Complex. 

Joe Pye is the news editor of the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @jpeg3189.