A Leesburg man was arrested with a trafficking amount of methamphetamine while on the way to a hotel.
An officer was behind a silver passenger car on Sinclair Avenue when it failed to stop behind the white bar for the stop sign at U.S. Hwy. 441 around 7:55 p.m. Sunday, July 12, according to an arrest report from the Tavares Police Department. He subsequently stopped the vehicle to speak with the driver, 41-year-old Joshua Franklin.
While gathering Franklin’s information, the officer asked about weapons or narcotics in the vehicle. Franklin stated there were none and denied consent for a search. He mentioned having all his stuff in the vehicle and trying to get to a hotel, the report said.
A K-9 unit on scene proceeded to check for narcotics and positively alerted to their presence. Franklin was removed from the vehicle so it could be searched, and he advised the officers not to tear up his vehicle and all his things, the report said.
The officers found several contraband items, including a small purple aluminum container on a key chain. Inside was a white powder-like residue. A black duffel bag in the backseat contained a bag full of small unused plastic apple baggies and a digital scale with white powder residue, the report said.
A subsequent search of Franklin’s person yielded a canvas container in his front right cargo pocket. Inside was a baggie with 30 grams of methamphetamine and a baggie with 12 grams of cocaine. In his front left cargo pocket was a glass smoking pipe with burnt residue, the report said.
Franklin was ultimately arrested on charges of possession of cocaine with intent to sell, trafficking methamphetamine (over 28 grams) and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked at the Lake County Jail with bond set at $601,000.