A 47-year-old Leesburg man was arrested after methamphetamine, marijuana, THC oil and drug paraphernalia were found in his vehicle during a traffic stop early Sunday.
Shortly after midnight recently, a Lake County sheriff’s deputy patrolling the area near U.S. Hwy. 441 and County Road 473 saw a vehicle leaving an area where there are known to be casinos. The deputy ran the vehicle’s license tag and discovered the registered owner – Gary Mark Hammond, of 11218 Fountain Lake Blvd. – had a suspended license, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The deputy pulled Hammond over at the intersection of Highway 441 and Bluegill Drive, confirmed Hammond was the driver and asked if he knew his license was suspended. The deputy could smell the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle and asked Hammond to get out so he could search it, the report said.
While getting out of the vehicle, Hammond told the deputy he had a small amount of marijuana inside the vehicle. Asked how much, Hammond said, “just some roaches,” according to the report.
The deputy searched the vehicle and found a blue zippered bag on the front passenger seat. Inside the bag was a clear vacuum-sealed bag containing a green leafy substance that tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The deputy also found a green glass smoking pipe that appeared to have been used, the report said.
Also inside the bag was a small black scale and a package of rolling papers. The bag also contained a small green and yellow rubber container and a black and yellow container. Both contained THC oil, according to the report.
While searching the bag, the deputy also found two small clear baggies containing a clear crystal-like substance. The deputy asked Hammond what the substance was and he replied, “You know what it is.” Asked if it was methamphetamine, Hammond said it was. The substance tested positive for meth, the report said.
Hammond was taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $10,000 bail. Hammond is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on June 1.