An Altoona woman with multiple prior drug arrests is back in the Lake County Jail after methamphetamine was found in her book bag during a traffic stop in Eustis.
Crystal Lee Neely, 37, was charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was a backseat passenger in a white Ford stopped by a Eustis police officer shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of North Bay Street and East Wilt Avenue because its window tinting was too dark, according to the police report.
While speaking with the driver, the officer smelled the strong odor of burnt marijuana emitting from the vehicle. He conducted a probable cause search and found a small black book bag in the back seat where Neely had been sitting, the report said.
Inside the bag was a small orange coin wallet containing multiple bags of a crystallized substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine. Inside the front pocket of the bag was a cigarette pack containing a glass pipe with a round top commonly used to smoke meth, according to the report.
The officer asked Neely what she owned in the vehicle and at first she denied knowledge of the book bag. She later confessed it belonged to her and was placed under arrest, the report said.
A check of Neely’s criminal record showed Neely has multiple prior drug convictions. She was charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. She’s being held on $3,000 bond and will appear in Lake County Court on Jan. 9.
