Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Monique Simoune Curtis, 28, was detained on May 7 for possession of cocaine and attempting to smuggle the drug into jail concealed in her phone case, despite being cautioned about the consequences. Further charges were levied later that evening when marijuana was allegedly discovered in a menstrual pad among her possessions.

At approximately 12:15 a.m. on May 7, a Gainesville Police Department officer stopped a vehicle for failing to obey a stop sign at SE 9th Street and SE 4th Avenue; Curtis was sitting in the back seat as a passenger in the vehicle.

Curtis reportedly agreed to allow a search of her person, leading to the discovery of a bag containing roughly 0.4 grams of cocaine hidden in her bra. She allegedly claimed that the cocaine belonged to another person in the vehicle.

Before being transported to the jail, Curtis was reportedly asked multiple times if she had any additional contraband, and she reportedly said she didn’t. At the jail, a search of Curtis’s property reportedly produced four hand-rolled cigarettes in her phone case, containing small rocks of MDPV.

Curtis was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and introducing contraband into a detention facility, and Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $15,000.

At about 10:55 p.m. on May 7, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy spoke with a jail employee who said an inmate had reported that Curtis gave her drugs. A search of Curtis’s belongings in her housing unit reportedly produced a small black baggie inside a menstrual pad, containing 0.8 grams of marijuana.

Post Miranda, Curtis reportedly declined to answer questions.

Curtis was charged with possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and introduction of contraband into a jail facility.

Curtis has one felony conviction (non-violent); she has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2020. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $55,000 on the new charges.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.