Florida Highway Patrol Release
Putnam County, FL - Trooper Scott Howard was traffic patrol on State Road 19 in Putnam County, south of Palatka. At approximately 10:05 am, he clocked a blue Sedan traveling northbound at 90 miles per hour in a posted 60 zone.
Trooper Howard made a traffic stop on State Road 19 at Camp Road. Trooper Howard learned the car was a rental car. He observed the driver and 2 passengers acting nervous. The driver was identified as Jeremy Jvon Melton, 19, of Palatka.
Trooper Howard, after observing continuous nervous behavior by the occupants, called for a routine backup from the Sheriff’s Office. After the Deputies arrived to the trooper, they advised the car and its occupants were just involved in a home invasion off of County Road 310.
The passengers were Gerald Owens Jr., 22, Palatka, and Allen Cornelius Ferguson, 19, Palatka. During the investigation, a
felonious amount of marijuana and oxycodone prepared for distribution was discovered with the occupants.
The ultimate result of the stop allowed the Putnam Sheriff’s Office to make an arrest and charge the three with Burglary to an occupied dwelling (which occurred just prior to the traffic stop).
