A Leesburg man was taken into custody with a trafficking amount of methamphetamine while on the way to a hotel.
An officer was following a silver passenger car on Sinclair Avenue when it failed to stop behind the white bar at the stop sign at U.S. Highway 441 around 7:55 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, according to an arrest report from the Tavares Police Department. He then stopped the vehicle to speak with the driver, Joshua Franklin, 41.
While taking Franklin’s information, the officer inquired about any weapons or narcotics in the vehicle. Franklin stated that there were none and refused approval for a search. He mentioned having all of his belongings in the truck and attempting to get to a hotel, according to the report.
A K-9 unit on the scene searched for narcotics and positively alerted to their presence. Franklin was taken out of the car for a search, and he told the officers not to damage his car or belongings, the report said.
The officers discovered many illicit goods, including a little purple aluminum container on a key chain. Inside was a white powdery substance. A black duffel bag in the backseat had a bag full of small unused plastic apple baggies and a digital scale with white powder residue, according to the report.
A later examination of Franklin’s person revealed a canvas container in the front right cargo pocket. Inside was a baggie containing 30 grams of methamphetamine and 12 grams of cocaine. A glass smoking pipe with charred residue was found in his front left cargo pocket, according to the report.
Franklin was finally arrested on accusations of possessing cocaine with intent to sell, trafficking methamphetamine (more than 28 grams), and possessing drug paraphernalia. He was booked into the Lake County Jail, and bond was set at $601,000.
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