Traffic stop with 3 passengers, ‘all of which I am familiar,’ cop says, leads to K9 officer and drug charges

FRUITLAND PARK, Fla. – It was like a one-two punch.

Ashley Finley drove her “tannish gray-in-color Nissan” through a stop sign, “pausing beyond the white stop bar,” a police officer reported.

“Additionally,” the officer wrote, “I was able to gain a clear, unobstructed view of the front seat passenger without a seatbelt.”

So, that cop in Florida pulled Finley over on Nov. 6, and had much more to write.

“Upon activating my lights,” the arrest report said, “the vehicle continued to drive past several driveways leading to empty parking lots, while the occupants made furtive movements. I activated my siren, to which the vehicle came to a stop. I approached the driver, later identified as Ashley Lynn Finley, hereafter referred to as the defendant, and advised the reason for the stop.

“The defendant advised the vehicle is registered to her mother but belongs to her, as she is the one who drives it. It should be noted that upon requesting insurance information from the defendant, I observed her utilizing two cell phones to access the information. She stated one was brand new, and the other was her old phone. 

“I observed three other passengers, all of which I am familiar with through previous law enforcement encounters.”

All three have been arrested in Lake County and have booking photos online, but only Finley, the driver, was arrested in this encounter. Despite all that was about to happen, the others were searched and released without as much as citations.

“I observed all occupants to display nervous behavior,” the officer continued, “such as avoiding eye contact, stuttering, shaky hands, etc. Additionally, I am familiar with the [three passengers] to be narcotics users.

“Therefore, I requested consent to search the vehicle. Initially, the defendant advised she did not care, but then questioned why I needed to search, subsequently revoking consent.

“I requested [a K9 officer] with the Leesburg Police Department and his K9 partner Ghost respond to the scene.

“While I conducted my investigation and drafted a written warning for the traffic offense, K9 Ghost conducted a free air sniff around the exterior of the vehicle. [The K9 officer] advised K9 Ghost positively alerted to the odor of narcotics from within the vehicle, specifically on the rear passenger side. Therefore, a probable cause search was conducted.

“A search of the vehicle revealed multiple burnt, cut straws with residue, one inside of [the back right passenger’s] backpack, one in the passenger side door compartment, and several on the driver’s seat towards the crack between the seat and the backrest 

“On the driver’s side rear passenger seat, a broken glass smoking device was located. A search of [the other back seat passenger’s] person was later conducted, where missing pieces of the smoking device were located within his pocket.

“Since all four occupants were found to have drug paraphernalia, a search of their physical persons was conducted. Inside of the left shorts pocket of the defendant was the defendant’s old phone. The phone was encased in a wallet phone case. Inside of the main pocket, I located two pieces of folded up tin foil. Inside of one of the pieces of foil, I located approximately 1.6 grams of a white, chalky substance, later field testing presumptive for fentanyl.”

This wasn’t Finley’s first brush with the law. She and a different friend were shoplifting at a Publix grocery store on April 29, 2018.

“[An employee] stated [they] entered the store and went to the baby food aisle,” the officer’s narrative said, “and selected four cans of Enfamil Gentlease infant formula ($17.99 each) off of the shelf and placed it in their shopping cart. Then they proceeded to the deli department and selected a precooked package of hot and spicy chicken wings ($12.22) and placed it in the shopping cart. [They] then proceeded to walk towards the exit of the store, passing all points of purchase with no intent to stop and pay for the items.”

The employee approached them in the parking lot, took them to the office, and called police. 

“Both [the friend] and Finley advised that they were not trying to steal the items,” the officer continued, “that they were just taking them to the car while Finley retrieved her wallet. Finley stated that she has enough money to pay for the items.”

In the end, neither was arrested.

They were charged with petit theft for the $84.26 of merchandise taken, released with notices to appear in court, and “warned not to come back” to Publix.

Seven months later, Finley pleaded no contest, and she was sentenced to 10 days in jail and a month of probation. Her friend pleaded no contest quickly, after just two weeks, and only got a week in jail.

Finley eventually served her time in November 2019, coincidentally after she was arrested in another incident.

In October 2019, she faced charges for driving without a license and having a license plate that was not assigned.

Ashley Lynn Finley’s Written Plea Agreement, Nov. 18, 2019 by Lenny Cohen on Scribd

The following month, she pleaded no contest and was again sentenced to 10 days in jail, a month of probation, plus court costs and fees. It’s not clear if she served jail time since she was released from her previous sentence on the day of her plea, but she still owed $170 as of last month, five years after the charges.

Finley had more traffic trouble in January 2022 for knowingly driving with a suspended license. Details were not available but she got a ticket, and her traffic court information sheet said “no tail light.”

The next month, she pleaded no contest at her arraignment and was sentenced to six months of probation.

And in May 2023, Finley and three others were caught near a shopping plaza where “she had been previously trespassed from the property,” meaning she wasn’t allowed to return, a police officer’s narrative said. She was “released on her own recognizance [and] was provided an arraignment date” to appear on a charge of trespassing after warning. That September, she changed her plea to no contest and was sentenced to six months of probation.

This time, after driving her friends, Finley, 26, was charged with a felony and a misdemeanor: possession of fentanyl and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Also, she was issued a written warning for the stop sign violation and released after two-and-a-half hours in jail, in lieu of $3,500 bond.

There was no further mention of a seatbelt violation.