A Leesburg man with prior drug convictions was arrested after offering marijuana to an Advanced Discount Auto Parts employee.
Jonathan Mark Powell, 47, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia after his arrest at the store at 2010 N. State Road 19. Police responded around 1:40 p.m. to a report of a man being on the property since 8 a.m., according to the Eustis Police arrest report.
Officers found the man – later identified as Powell – next to a gray Nissan Titan. Powell told police his vehicle had broken down earlier in the day, and he was unsure if it was the battery or the alternator, the report said.
As one officer spoke with Powell, another was flagged down by a store employee, who said Powell had been in the parking lot since morning. She said during that time, Powell moved the Titan from parking spot to parking spot. The employee also said Powell offered marijuana to one of her employees and when told no returned to his vehicle, the report said.
The report noted that the store manager did not wish to trespass Powell but wanted him to leave the property. Officers returned to Powell and explained that the store wished for him to leave but did not want him trespassed. They then asked him if he had anything illegal, such as guns, drugs, or paraphernalia, to which he responded no, according to the report.
As the officers spoke with Powell, one of them noticed a plastic baggie containing a green leafy substance in his left pants pocket. When asked about it, Powell pulled out the baggie with three marijuana cigarettes and said he had his medical marijuana card, which turned out to be expired, the report said.
A probable cause search was then conducted and officers found a rolled-up baggie containing a white crystalized substance in Powell’s right short pocket. Powell was detained and placed into the back of a patrol car and admitted the substance was methamphetamine, which he purchased for $40 from a man in Bassville Park. The substance was tested and confirmed to be meth, according to the report.
An officer also found two medical marijuana containers without a name on them inside Powell’s vehicle.  A criminal history check run on Powell later showed three prior convictions for the possession of narcotics, the report said.
Powell was arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was released after posting $3,000 bond.
