A Jacksonville man was taken into custody on drug charges after a passenger mentioned a bag of meth in the rear 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 around 12:50 a.m. on Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. He had not properly signaled for a right turn, and the vehicle’s tag lights were too dim.
While conversing with Gunther, the deputy saw a glass pipe on the dashboard. He and the passenger were then forced out of the vehicle, and the passenger claimed Gunter threw a baggie into the backseat. According to the report, the passenger did this repeatedly without being asked.
A further check of the vehicle discovered a plastic baggie containing 3.77 grams of methamphetamine in the backseat, according to the report.
Gunter was detained for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He was taken to Lake County Jail, and bond was set at $30,000.