A Lady Lake man was arrested on drug charges after officers found several prepackaged containers of THC in his backpack.
An officer spotted 48-year-old Jason Cory Franks driving a red Ford F150 northbound on Thomas Avenue around 7:40 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The headlight on the driver’s side of the truck was not working, leading to a traffic stop near Industrial Avenue.
The officer asked Franks if there were any narcotics in the vehicle, to which he said there was possibly marijuana. He handed over a medical marijuana license, but it expired in 2024. He then denied there being methamphetamine in the vehicle when asked, the report said.
A K-9 unit subsequently responded to the stop and sniffed around the outside of the vehicle. The K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics, and the officers searched the vehicle, the report said.
They first discovered an orange cooler on the backseat. It was filled with ice, but an officer noticed the upper part of a hypodermic needle. He pulled out the syringe and saw it contained 0.40mL of methamphetamine, the report said.
A check of the truck’s bed revealed a silver cup with a clear baggie of methamphetamine. There was also a black backpack containing 38 grams of marijuana, Fritos corn chips with 600mg of THC, an orange container with 3.3 grams of THC wax, Stoney Patch candy with 500mg of THC, two syringes with 1mg of THC liquid each, two Sweet Tarts candy with 500mg of THC each and four Trollis candy with 600mg of THC each, the report said.
Franks later claimed ownership of the marijuana, prepackaged THC items and the syringe of methamphetamine. He denied ownership of the crystal methamphetamine found in the cup, though, the report said.
He was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, THC, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Lake County Jail to be held without bond.
Franks was also arrested earlier this month when an officer recognized his truck from known narcotics dealings and in March for dumping meth in a Dr. Pepper can to avoid discovery.