A Leesburg woman was arrested on drug charges after being pulled over Monday for having an expired registration.
A Leesburg Police officer was traveling north on U.S. Highway 441 when he saw a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder with an Ohio license plate in the adjacent lane. A computer search revealed the vehicle’s license expired on Nov. 2, 2020, according to the police report.
The officer initiated the traffic stop and the vehicle pulled into the Lake Square Mall parking lot, just north of SunTrust bank. The officer spoke with the driver and sole occupant, Amber Faye Johnson, 30, of 34138 Lee Ave. Johnson provided her Florida’s license, but when asked for proof of insurance, she said the vehicle was not insured, the report said.
A K-9 officer responded to the scene and conducted an open-air sniff that detected the presence of narcotics near the driver’s door. During a search of the vehicle, the officer found a small black Coach clutch wallet within a larger black Coach purse. Inside the clutch wallet was a small plastic baggie with one whole green rectangular pill with “S 90 3” imprinted on it, along with one-third of an identical pill, according to the report.
Using an online drug search tool, the officer identified the pills as Alprazolam 2 mg. The pills also tested positive for MDMA. The total weight of both pills was .69 grams, the report said.
After detaining Johnson in handcuffs, the officer asked if she had any items on her person. She said she had a small plastic bag containing Fentanyl in her bra on the left side. Johnson retrieved the bag and gave it to the officers, according to the report.
Johnson was taken to the Leesburg police station, where she was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance (Alprazolam and Fentanyl). While in custody, Johnson made it very clear she had every intention of leaving the state after bonding out. As a result, the officer requested that bond not be granted, the report said.
Johnson was then taken to the Lake County Jail, where she was still being held Wednesday night on $5,000 bond. Johnson is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on April 19.
