A Leesburg man is behind bars after he reportedly dropped a bag of cocaine onto the ground outside a vehicle during a traffic stop.
Michael Deon Grant, 38, of 1137 Veech Road, was charged with possession of cocaine after his arrest early Saturday. He was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a Lake County sheriff’s deputy for failing to come to a complete stop before turning right on red from Griffin Road on to County Road 468, according to the sheriff’s office report.
While the deputy was talking to the driver, Grant threw a marijuana “blunt” wrapper onto the ground. He apologized when the deputy pointed out that is considered littering. The driver gave the deputy permission to search the vehicle, the report said.
While Grant was stepping towards the front bumper at the start of the search, the deputy observed a small yellow baggie on the ground where he had been standing. The bag contained a white powder substance that tested positive for cocaine, according to the report.
When confronted about the bag, Grant denied any knowledge of it. However, while the ground was wet from earlier rain, the bag was completely dry as if it had just been dropped there, the report said.
Grant was placed under arrest and taken to the Lake County Jail, where he’s being held on $5,000 bond. He’s due to appear in Lake County Court on Oct. 10.
