A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office corrections deputy and her husband are accused of having a house for growing and selling marijuana, according to an arrest report.
Marquita and Bobby Perez of South Bay are facing charges for possessing marijuana and unlawfully having a property for trafficking, manufacturing, or selling a controlled substance.
Marquita Perez is a deputy sheriff with PBSO assigned to corrections, according to a spokesperson for PBSO.
PBSO narcotics agents searched the couple’s home near the 300 block of SE 3rd Ave. in South Bay on July 26, 2017.
Agents reported finding more than 7,600 grams of marijuana in several bags inside a closet room.
Marquita Perez told deputies she works a lot a did not know of the marijuana in the home, the report states. She said she’s worked for the sheriff’s office for three years.
Two backpacks full of marijuana were found in laundry hampers, a deputy reported.
Bobby Perez was arrested on the day of the search warrant and bonded out of the Palm Beach County Jail. His case remains open.
Marquita Perez was not arrested at the time. Agents say they took her DNA and received a positive match to evidence seized in December 2017.
Perez was arrested on Jan. 17. She was released from the Palm Beach County Jail Wednesday on $41,000 bond.
Perez has worked for PBSO since April 2014, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. She worked for the Florida Department of Corrections from 2005 to 2011.
She said her husband doesn’t smoke but knows he used to hang out with people that dealt drugs, the report states. She added that she’s been paying all the bills at home and is helping her husband with his business.
“If he’s selling drugs, where the f*** the money at?” Perez reportedly told a deputy.
Statement from PBSO:
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office holds its employees to the highest standards and never forgets about its duty to preserve the public’s trust. Unfortunately, sometimes an employee makes a bad decision which leads to misconduct. This misconduct was reported, investigated by our agency and subsequently determined to be criminal in nature, resulting in the charges against Marquita Perez.
The Sheriff’s Office will remain vigilant to insure that our efforts are professional and meet the high standards that the public has come to expect.