A Tavares man with a long criminal rap sheet was arrested after multiple types of drugs and paraphernalia were found in his vehicle during a traffic stop in Leesburg on Saturday night.
Brenten Kyler Salerno, 26, of 15499 Old U.S. Hwy. 441, was charged with possession with intent to sell fentanyl, possession of a controlled substance (amphetamine) without a prescription, possession of a controlled substance (oxycodone), possession of a controlled substance (buprenorphine) without a prescription, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and driving with a revoked license.
Salerno also had a large amount of cash in his pocket when he was pulled over by a Fruitland Park police officer on County Road 468 for having a temporary license plate that had expired in November of 2009. Asked for his license, Salerno handed over a Florida identification card and said he didn’t know if his license was valid due to failure to pay court costs. A records search showed numerous suspensions dating back to 2016, according to the police report.
The officer noticed that Salerno was visibly nervous. He was taking shallow breaths and his hands were shaking. The officer asked Salerno why he was nervous and he said it was because of his license. Asked if he had any illegal substances in the vehicle, Salerno said he had “heroin” and “ice” in a container on the floorboard. He said had just bought the substances and should have “about 2 grams” of heroin and “not much” meth, the report said.
Salerno was placed in handcuffs, and a body search found $505 in large and small bills in his pocket. A K-9 sniff of the vehicle gave a positive alert for narcotics. A search turned up four bags (5.8 grams) of a substance that tested positive for fentanyl, 1.1 grams of a green leafy substance that tested positive for marijuana, one orange pill that was identified as amphetamine dextroaphetamine, nine white pills identified as oxycodone hydrochloride, one pill identified as oxycotin, nine suboxone strips with original labeling, a green scale with residue, a straw, a pack of small plastic baggies and a razor blade style knife, according to the report.
Salerno, who jail records show has eight prior arrests, was taken to the Lake County Jail. He posted $13,500 bail three hours later and will answer to the charges in Lake County Court on May 31.
