A 29-year-old Beeville man learned a lesson about telling the truth to arresting officers last Friday.

Jerome Tapia ended up with a third degree felony charge after refusing to tell arresting officers he had cocaine in his possession when he was booked into the Bee County Jail.

According to investigators at the Beeville Police Department, Patrolman Ryan Treviño stopped an Isuzu Rodeo in the 100 block of South Lightburne Street for a routine traffic violation at about 12:12 a.m. on Oct. 16.

When he approached the vehicle, Treviño noticed four men inside and an 18-pack of Budweiser Light beer in the back seat.

The officer called for a backup patrolman because of the number of men in the vehicle and then asked Tapia, the driver, for a driver’s license.

It was then that Tapia told Treviño that he did not have a license or any other form of identification. He said he had left his license at home. He also told the officer that he and his friends were on their way home from a local tavern.

Treviño wrote down the man’s name and called to police headquarters for a warrant check. When the dispatcher called back and said that Tapia and one of his passengers did have outstanding warrants, Treviño and Patrolman Matt Miller stepped in to take them into custody.

When Treviño asked Tapia if he had any problems with his clothing being searched, the driver said, “Yes, I do.”

After Treviño told Tapia he was being arrested, the suspect did consent to a body search and a search of his vehicle.

Officers then found a small scale in the center console of the truck and tested a white powder on the scale. When the test showed a positive result for cocaine, both Tapia and the passenger were taken to the Bee County Jail to be booked on their misdemeanor warrants.

That was when Tapia allegedly made his mistake, denying that he had anything else illegal in his possession before he was ushered into the building.

Once inside, officers told Tapia he was going to be searched again. At that point, the suspect told officers he had some cocaine and some marijuana hidden in the crotch of his pants.

Since Tapia did not tell officers that he had the drugs before walking into the jail, he was charged with the third degree felony of possession of a prohibited substance in a correctional facility.

The charge, upon conviction, is punishable by a 10-year prison sentence and a $10,000 fine.

Officers retrieved an 11.2-ounce “chunk” of cocaine and less then two ounces of marijuana from his pants.

He was then charged with possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, 4-200 grams, a second degree felony, possession of marijuana, less than two ounces, a Class B misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

The second degree felony could get Tapia up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if he is convicted. The Class B misdemeanor is punishable by 180 days in jail and a fine of $2,000 and the Class C misdemeanor could result in a $500 fine.

Investigators recommend that anyone carrying a prohibited substance when arrested reveal that to the officers before they enter the county jail to avoid facing charges on a third degree felony.