MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis man is facing additional charges after authorities say he tried to sneak a machete into the Shelby County Jail under a belly roll.
According to authorities, Freddrick Johnson was arrested after trespassing at the Greyhound bus terminal. He had reportedly been involved in previous incidents at the station that warranted that he been banned from the property.
Officers searched Johnson and recovered two folding knives, a taser, multiple bags of what appeared to be drugs, and a woman’s social security card. He said he didn’t know who the woman was.
Once at the jail for intake authorities asked him if he had anything else on him and warned that taking prohibited items into the jail would result in serious charges. Johnson said he didn’t and authorities continued the intake process.
During another pat down authorities observed an unknown object protruding from his person which they suspected to be another weapon of some sort.
Again they asked Johnson if he had anything else on him to which he remained silent. It was only after authorities said that they would conduct a strip search that Johnson revealed he had tucked a 24 inch machete underneath his belly flesh.
Authorities said the weapon was so well hidden that the jail’s metal detection machines didn’t even pick it up.
Johnson was charged with aggravated criminal trespass, taking contraband into a penal facility and manufacturing a controled substance.
