A renter was detained during a raid on a drug house on The Villages’ Historic Side.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office requested that Lady Lake police respond to the residence at 1787 W. Schwartz Blvd. in the Village of Country Club Hills around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. It was thought that there were two people at the house who were sought on Marion County warrants.
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According to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department, officers surrounded the home, with one going to the front door. After the police proclaimed his presence at the front door, a woman attempted to leave through a bedroom window. She was told to come home and followed the cops’ commands. “Several other unknown persons were running through the interior of the home, in an apparent attempt to conceal themselves,” the report stated.
The homeowner was identified, but she appeared “intoxicated” and “uncooperative.” However, she agreed to show an officer a rented part of her living room. Phillip Joseph O’Day, 64, was using the rented facility, which had been blocked off with a sheet. The homeowner stated that individuals “come and go” from their residence.
A search of the home yielded 47.69 grams of methamphetamine, 43.61 grams of cocaine, 7.65 grams of alprazolam tablets, and other substances. There were also hypodermic syringes, torch lighters, and charred aluminum foil. It was established that the drugs belonged to O’Day, who was released from a Florida prison in July and moved into the residence on the Historic Side of The Villages in September. He also owned a tiny safe that held $2,607 in cash.
He was detained on several allegations, including narcotics trafficking. He was detained without bond at Lake County Jail.
“This residence had generated numerous complaints, and we hope this arrest sends a strong message,” said Lady Lake Police Chief Steven Hunt.
