A Bushnell man was arrested on drug and gun charges after being pulled over for his dark window tinting.
Police observed a 2021 brown Dodge Charger traveling southbound on Tuskegee Street at around 1:04 p.m. Friday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The vehicle appeared to have an illegal front-side window tint, leading the officer to initiate a traffic stop.
As the officer spoke to 30-year-old Jason Everett, he could smell the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. The window tint was tested, and the officer returned to his vehicle to complete a written warning. As he wrote, an officer arrived on scene with his K-9 partner, the report said.
The second officer then met with Everett, the report said. Everett admitted to having marijuana in the vehicle without a medical marijuana card. He was detained in handcuffs so the officers could search his vehicle.
A 1.5 gram freshly rolled blunt and a small plastic baggie containing 0.4 grams of marijuana were found in the front center console, the report said. A loaded 9mm handgun magazine containing 10 bullets was found in the glove compartment.
Then, an unholstered Springfield Hellcat 9mm handgun concealed in the rear open storage pocket of the front passenger seat was found, the report said. The firearm was not loaded. However, it was not encased or holstered, meaning both the loaded magazine and handgun were easily accessible to Everett. A check confirmed he did not have a permit for the weapon.
A further search of the vehicle revealed a mason jar with marijuana residue, and a small operational digital scale in a suitcase in the trunk. Everett later advised the suitcase belonged to him, the report said.
Everett was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a concealed firearm without a permit. He was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $4,000 bond.
