Jacksonville couple facing child neglect, drug charges following sting

Couple arrested after undercover sting at Southside gas station

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville couple is charged after an undercover drug sting at a Southside gas station.

According to an arrest report, 22-year-old Reco Benefield was contacted by an undercover detective in mid-December about buying drugs. The report said Benefield directed the detective to meet him at a Sunoco gas station on Beach Boulevard. The detective went to the gas station, the report states, and met Benefield to buy crack cocaine. Benefield drove away after the buy.

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Officers said they contacted Benefield again on January 11, and agreed to meet at the same gas station. Officers were waiting there to take Benefield into custody. During that time, police contacted 22-year-old Amber Troutman, who was sitting in Benefield's vehicle with a child. According to her arrest report, as Troutman stepped out of the vehicle, a detective smelled a strong odor of marijuana. A search of that vehicle yielded crack cocaine, marijuana, and one hydrocodone pill, according to the report.

The report states, Troutman and the same child were also at the scene of a previous drug arrest of Benefield's. Troutman was not arrested in that incident.

Benefield was charged with cocaine sale and possession, and child neglect. He was being held in jail on $75,000 bond.

Troutman was charged with child neglect and possession of cocaine and marijuana. She posted bond and was released from jail just 11 hours after he arrest.