A Leesburg man was arrested on drug charges last week after being pulled over for having the wrong license tag attached to his vehicle.
A Lake County sheriff’s deputy was traveling south on Thomas Avenue behind a red Pontiac on Friday and ran the attached tag through the state Drivers and Vehicle Information Database (DAVID), and it showed no vehicle information assigned to it. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver, 49-year-old Christopher Scott Pettit of 2716 Berdetta St.
Pettit tried to make a quick exit from the vehicle and was told to get back inside for officer safety purposes. He admitted that he didn’t have a valid Florida driver’s license because it was suspended. A records check showed his license has multiple suspensions for failure to pay court obligations, according to the sheriff’s office report.
Pettit placed under arrest for driving with a suspended license and driving with an unassigned licensed tag. As he was being searched before being placed in the patrol car, the deputy found a small clear plastic bag containing a green leafy substance that field tested positive for marijuana. The deputy later found a small clear plastic bag containing a crystal substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, the report said.
Pettit admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the day and said he has used methamphetamine in the past. He asked why he was stopped and the deputy explained his tag did not come back as assigned. Pettit aid he recently bought the vehicle and put one of his old tags on it, but he hadn’t been able to register it yet, according to the report.
Pettit was also charged with possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) without a prescription and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. He was taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was released later that night on $3,500 bond. Pettit will appear in Lake County Court on Feb. 8.
