A Jacksonville man was arrested on drug charges when a passenger mentioned a baggie of meth in the backseat during a traffic stop.
A deputy stopped 64-year-old Kenneth Russell Gunter in a white Chevy Silverado at South Haines Creek Road and Missouri Street in Leesburg at 12:50 a.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. He had not properly signalled before making a right turn, and the vehicle’s tag lights were too dim.
When speaking to Gunther, the deputy noticed a glass pipe on the dashboard. He and the passenger were subsequently ordered out of the vehicle, during which the passenger stated Gunter threw a baggie into the backseat. The passenger repeated this multiple times without being asked, the report said.
A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded a plastic baggie containing 3.77 grams of methamphetamine in the backseat, the report said.
Gunter was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $30,000.