A Leesburg man on a bicycle was arrested after being stopped with various narcotics and a firearm.
An officer pulled over 30-year-old Samuel Michael McCook on a bicycle for running a stop sign at Tuskegee Street and Harlem Avenue at 5:20 p.m. Friday, May 8, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. He wore no shirt, jean-style bottoms and a green bag slung across his chest.
When asked about narcotics, McCook emptied his pockets and handed over three empty plastic baggies. These were the exact style of baggies local narcotics were sold in. The officer noticed he avoided anything in the bag or any mention of its contents and instead offered what was in his pockets, usually a tactic used to avoid contraband, the report said.
This prompted the officer to call for a K-9 unit from Fruitland Park. McCook then stated he had some marijuana in the bag, but no marijuana card. At that point, law enforcement searched the bag, the report said.
The officer first found a black Springfield 9mm, followed by a clear baggie with 11 grams of marijuana and a silver container. Inside were more baggies with 6 grams of methamphetamine and 1 gram of cocaine. These baggies were the same as the empty ones McCook handed over at the start of the traffic stop, the report said.
Additionally, a check of McCook’s criminal history showed he was a convicted felon as of Dec. 13, 2016, and May 27, 2021, the report said.
McCook was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, marijuana (less than 20 grams), cocaine, drug paraphernalia (used in transportation) and two counts of firearm/ammo by convicted felon. He was booked at the Lake County Jail with bond set at $28,500.
He was also arrested in 2021 on drug and gun charges.