COCONUT GROVE, Fla. – An Uber driver accused of selling drugs to an undercover police officer was arrested Tuesday night in Coconut Grove.
Ilitch Brown-Munoz, 38, was taken into custody about 8:30 p.m. in front of the Kwik Stop convenience store in the 3100 block of Grand Avenue.
Miami police said they were conducting an undercover drug buy at the time when the undercover detective called Munoz to meet up outside the convenience store.
According to an arrest report, Munoz got into the backseat of the cop's unmarked police car and handed him a clear bag with several suspected pieces of hard cocaine, and said "that was the good (expletive)."
The detective said he handed Munoz $100 and Munoz got back into his vehicle.
Munoz was then pulled over by other police officers and was taken into custody.
Detectives searched Munoz's Hyundai Sonata and found a pill bottle filled with steroids, about $270 in cash, 2 plastic bags with suspected cocaine, a half of a burnt marijuana cigarette and a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, the report said.
After being interviewed, Munoz said he was an Uber driver. No passengers were in the car at the time.
"The risk that passenger is taking -- and if the event were to happen that another drug dealer wanted to rip them off -- now you just put a passenger right at the center of this whole fiasco," Sgt. Albert Pacheco said. "So it's definitely very, very dangerous."
Munoz faces charges of possession of cocaine with the intent to sell, possession of cocaine, possession of steroids and displaying or using a firearm while committing a felony.
An Uber representative said Munoz was not a regular Uber driver and had only used the platform one time in the past four months.
"The individual was not using the Uber app when this happened and he won't be able to use it in the future," an Uber statement said.