A Leesburg man was arrested after he reportedly tried to hide two drug pipes behind his dash panel during a traffic stop.
John Grant Cullen, 44, of 1801 Westmont Lane, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and knowingly driving with a suspended or revoked license (third offense). Cullen’s red Cadillac was pulled over by a Leesburg police officer on U.S. Highway 441 at around 5:30 a.m. Friday for having a headlight out.
While waiting for dispatch to run Cullen’s information through its database, the officer saw Cullen remove the dash panel and conceal an unknown object. The officer asked Cullen what he just did and Cullen said he was closing the ash tray. The search of Cullen’s driving record showed his license had been revoked three times since 2021 for failure to pay child support, possession of a controlled substance, and failure to pay traffic fines, according to the police report.
Cullen gave the officer permission to search the vehicle. The officer removed the dash panel and found a black sunglass case that contained two glass pipes with drug residue and three empty plastic baggies. After being read his Miranda warning, Cullen said the pipes were used to smoke methamphetamine, the report said.
Cullen was taken to the Leesburg police station for booking and later to the Lake County Jail, where he was released later in the day on $3,000 bond. Cullen is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on Oct. 24.
