A Leesburg man claimed he erroneously put on another man’s pants when police found fentanyl in his pocket.
An officer had been on patrol early Tuesday morning in Fruitland Park when he saw a Chevy Tahoe with an obscured license plate. Four people were in the SUV and seemed very nervous when the officer approached the vehicle. A Lady Lake officer with his K-9 partner, also came to help the Fruitland Park officer.
The driver gave permission to search the car as well as himself. The backseat passenger, 52-year-old Christopher Scott Pettit of Leesburg, had a folded piece of paper in his pocket which contained a white piece of paper which contained a white powdery substance. The substance tested positive for the presence of fentanyl.
When questioned by the officer, Pettit, who was arrested in 2021 by Lake County sheriff’s deputies, claimed that he had been at a friend’s house and had put on another man’s pants. He told the officer he did not know the drugs were in the pants. He had no explanation for the cocaine that had been found on the floor of the car where he had been sitting.
Pettit was placed under arrest for possession of fentanyl and cocaine as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. He was taken to the Lake County Jail where bond was set at $11,000.
Two female passengers, 36-year-old Megan Marie Snyder of Okahumpka and 32-year-old Desiree Martin of Ocklawaha were also arrested. Martin was charged with possession of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia and tampering with evidence when she attempted to empty a baggie containing drugs onto the ground. She posted $9,000 bond and was released after her arrest.
Snyder was charged with giving a false name to a law enforcement officer and possession of drug paraphernalia. She also had an outstanding failure to appear warrant for a felony driving while suspended charge and was being held without bond at the Lake County Jail.
