An 18-year-old Leesburg man was arrested on drug and gun charges after being pulled over for having a broken tail light.
At around 10:32 p.m. Monday, a Lake County sheriff’s deputy observed a white Dodge pickup truck traveling south on North 14th Street with a broken tail light lens on the passenger side that caused white light to show through. The deputy initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of North 14th Street and Sunshine Avenue, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The deputy spoke with the driver, Dustin Ryan McCullough, of 26 Herrald Drive. The deputy asked for permission to search the vehicle and McCullough gave it, the report said.
During the search, the deputy found a glass pipe in the center console with a white substance inside that tested positive for methamphetamine. A clear plastic bag next to the driver’s seatbelt buckle also contained meth, according to the report.
The deputy also found a chrome Lorcin .380 caliber pistol loaded with a seven-round magazine under the center console and readily accessible to McCullough. Inside the center console was a box containing 84 rounds of hollow point .380 ammunition. At age 18, McCullough is not old enough to possess a concealed weapons permit, the report said.
After being read his Miranda warning, McCullough said the methamphetamine and glass pipe did not belong to him, but the gun was his. He was charged with possession of a concealed firearm without a permit, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
McCullough, who was also given a verbal warning for the broken tail light, was taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was released hours later on $5,000 bond. He will appear in Lake County Court on June 7.
