A Leesburg woman with a history of drug charges was arrested again Thursday after she informed a Lake County sheriff’s deputy she had a baggie of “ice and fentanyl” during a traffic stop.
Stephanie Marie Tharp, 31, was charged with possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. She was driving a red Buick shortly before noon when she ran a stop sign directly in front of the deputy at the intersection of Harbor Shores Road and Pine Island Drive, according to the sheriff’s office arrest report.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop and spoke with Tharp, who was the sole occupant. While they talked, the deputy saw a baggie sticking out of Tharp’s shirt. When asked about it, she said it probably contained a mixture of “ice and fentanyl” before removing it and handing it to the deputy, the report said.
Upon looking at the baggie, deputies identified its off-white crystal-like contents as methamphetamine and its off-white powdery contents as fentanyl. Deputies also found a grey ink pen with the internal components removed on the driver’s side floorboard. It contained the residue of a powdery substance, indicating someone used it to snort narcotics, according to the report.
Tharp reiterated to the deputies the baggie contained “ice and fentanyl” but said neither the baggie nor its contents belonged to her. She said she hid the items in her bra when she found them in her car, the report said.
A background check revealed that Tharp was on felony probation for possession of a controlled substance, so a violation of probation charge was added later. Jail records show she was charged with possession of a controlled substance in January 2022. Tharp was transported to the Lake County Jail with bond set at $5,000.
