A Leesburg man and a Lady Lake woman were arrested after their unusual behavior at Circle K led to the discovery of narcotics.
An officer observed a white Chevy sedan fail to come to a complete stop when leaving the Circle K parking lot, located at 100 W. Miller St., around 2:20 a.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department.
Another officer also saw the traffic violation as he was already watching the occupants, later identified as 38-year-old Andrew Samuel Gries and 26-year-old Brittany Nicole Adams, because of their unusual behavior while at the gas station, the report said.
As a result, the officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. He approached the driver, Gries, to explain the reason for the stop, but Gries became argumentative. He also behaved nervously as seen by his shaky hands, continuously looking around while speaking, overexplaining information and furtive movements, the report said.
The officer asked if there was anything in the vehicle he should be aware of, such as drugs, guns or other weapons. Both Gries and Adams, the front seat passenger, advised there was not. As the officer returned to his patrol vehicle to continue the investigation, others on scene spoke with the occupants, the report said.
A K-9 unit with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office again asked if there was anything in the vehicle. Gries then produced a container with a green leafy substance, which he stated was marijuana. He advised that he had a medical marijuana card, but the marijuana was not in an approved container. He also did not have the card in his possession, rendering law enforcement unable to verify his status, the report said.
A probable cause search of the vehicle was subsequently conducted. Between the driver’s seat and center console, an officer found a small coin purse loosely wrapped in some blankets. The actions observed at the gas station and Adams continuously reaching there during the interaction indicated Gries knew of its presence, the report said.
Inside the coin purse were numerous plastic baggies. Some were Walgreens clear prescription bags while others were small dime bags with icons. A multitude of the dime bags contained various amounts of a white powdery substance, the report said.
One large clear plastic bag contained about 1.6 grams of the substance, with the powder appearing identical to the powder in the other bags. The Walgreens bag contained about 1.27 grams of a crystalline substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. Several cut plastic straws with residue were found in the pouch, as well, the report said.
The report noted that gloves, a plethora of unused Walgreens pill bags and the icon bags were located. This was consistent with the sale and distribution of illicit substances. The white powder was tested, but the return indicated the substance to be a synthetic sweetener.
On the floorboard of the passenger side by where Adams’ feet were located, a makeup bag with numerous cards bearing her name was found. There were also several cut straws with a white powdery residue and a 20-gauge Winchester shotgun round next to her cards, the report said.
Additionally, a search of Adams’ criminal history revealed she had several felony convictions, with the most recent being for possession of methamphetamine on Oct. 17, 2022, the report said.
While an officer spoke with the occupants, Gries stated he only did marijuana. The officer replied that the narcotics must belong to the registered owner since no one seemed to know about them. Gries stayed silent, but Adams shook her head no, the report said.
An officer read Adams her rights, to which she stated she understood and agreed to speak with law enforcement. She advised that she did not know about the drugs but noticed Gries acting “weird” at the gas station and beyond. The registered owner of the vehicle, who was Gries’ significant other, told her that he had been using narcotics away from the residence so as to not expose his children to it, the report said.
A search of Gries’ driving history showed his license was currently suspended for failure to pay traffic fine as of Jan. 22. The report noted he acknowledged that he had not taken care of the citation. He also had one previous guilty conviction for knowingly driving while license suspended on Jan. 26, 2023, and he was arrested in Nov. 2023 for driving on a suspended license.
Gries was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, drug equipment (possess or use) and driving while license suspended (second or subsequent offense). The Michigan native was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $4,500.
Adams was arrested on charges of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was taken to jail with bond set at $11,000.