A Leesburg man who is a convicted sex offender was arrested for possessing drugs after a traffic stop for a dim tag light.
A deputy observed 53-year-old David Richmond Baumgardt driving a silver 2002 Infinity, with what appeared to be a tag light that did not fully illuminate, traveling southbound on County Road 473 shortly before midnight Monday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle made a right-hand turn onto U.S. Hwy. 441, and the deputy initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 441 and Lakes Boulevard.
The deputy subsequently spoke with Baumgardt regarding the equipment violation of his vehicle. After asking him for his driver’s license and vehicle registration, the deputy questioned if there were any illegal substances within his vehicle, which he denied. He also denied the deputy consent to search his vehicle, the report said.
While completing a written warning for the equipment violation, the deputy requested assistance from a K9 unit. The unit arrived on scene and conducted a free-air sniff around the vehicle. This yielded positive results, so Baumgardt’s vehicle was searched, the report said.
The deputy found a clear plastic baggie containing a crystal-like substance hidden underneath the front driver’s side floor mat. This was believed to be methamphetamine, which later tested positive for such. Baumgardt was detained and placed in the back of a patrol vehicle as a result, the report said.
When asked if he had any knowledge of the baggie, Baumgardt denied it. He stated that “there should not have been anything within the vehicle,” the report said.
Baumgardt was convicted o unlawful sexual activity with certain minors 16 or 17 years old in 1997.
Baumgardt was charged with possession of methamphetamine and transported to Lake County Jail. The New York native was released after posting $2,500 bond.
