A Umatilla man was arrested for drug possession when deputies noticed him hiding them under his tongue during a traffic stop.
Deputies spotted the driver of a gray Ford Explorer, later identified as 58-year-old Jeffery Allen Dean, traveling westbound on County Road 450A around 6:26 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
As the vehicle came to the intersection of State Road 19, it went past the large white stop bar before coming to a stop and turning southbound. Two deputies then performed a traffic stop and spoke with Dean. He initially gave his name and date of birth before admitting he did not have a valid license since it was suspended for DUI in 2007, the report said.
Dean got out of the vehicle and gave deputies consent to search his vehicle. While one deputy did so, another noticed Dean awkwardly chewing on something in his mouth. When asked what it was, he tried to hide two baggies under his tongue, the report said.
The deputies were able to safely detain Dean in handcuffs, and he spit out the two baggies onto the ground. One held a white rock substance which tested positive for cocaine while the other had a white powder that tested positive for fentanyl, the report said.
Dean was subsequently charged with driving while license suspended with knowledge, possession of cocaine and possession of fentanyl. The West Virginia native was transported to the Lake County Jail with bond set at $14,000.
