A Leesburg man was arrested for drug possession after law enforcement stopped him for a missing tag light when he left a RaceTrac in Eustis.
Police spotted a red 2005 Toyota SUV with only one working tag light leaving the RaceTrac parking lot located at 2850 South Bay Street at 12:12 a.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Eustis Police Department.
The officer maneuvered his patrol car behind the Toyota, whose driver was later identified as 26-year-old Nicholas Joel Hampton. A traffic stop was initiated after the officer had to use headlights to read the vehicle’s plate. Hampton continued north at a slow roll before coming to a complete stop at the intersection of Bay Street and Seminole Avenue, the report said.
The officer approached the vehicle on the driver’s side and requested both Hampton and the passenger’s information with the vehicle registration. Hampton was able to provide his license but was unable to find registration for the vehicle. His hands shook as he searched for this documentation, the report said.
At this point, several officers, including a K9 unit, responded to the scene. The K9 conducted an open-air sniff around the vehicle while the arresting officer conducted a record check and completed written traffic warnings for the stop. Then, the K9 positively alerted on the vehicle, the report said.
Both the passenger and Hampton were asked to exit the vehicle, to which the passenger complied without issue. However, Hampton was hesitant and argumentative in regard to exiting the vehicle. Officers explained the possible consequences for his refusal, after which he reluctantly complied and exited, the report said.
As one of the officers attempted to open the driver’s door, Hampton quickly tried to shut it and advised him that he was not allowed to enter the vehicle. Due to this, Hampton was secured and placed into handcuffs. He tensed up while being detained, so officers redirected him to a patrol car until he was fully secured, the report said.
Officers proceeded to search the vehicle, the report said. In between the driver’s seat and center console, they found a clear Ziploc bag containing a green leafy substance. A blue backpack was in the area where the passenger was sitting. Inside the backpack, a glass smoking apparatus with white residue and another plastic bag of green substance was found.
Based on prior experience, the arresting officer recognized the green leafy substance as marijuana. He also recognized the smoking device to be commonly used to inhale methamphetamine and be commonly referred to as a “bubble,” the report said.
Officers then began to search Hampton, to which he stated, “It’s in the front left pocket.” Inside the pocket was a small plastic baggie containing a white crystal-like substance which was
believed to be methamphetamine. The passenger stated he believed it to be “ice,” which is the street name for the drug, the report said.
All substances were field tested, and all were positive for that the officers suspected. The marijuana found in the passenger’s possession weighed about 3.5 grams, and the marijuana in Hampton’s possession weighed about 15 grams. The methamphetamine in his possession weighed about 1 gram, the report said.
Hampton was subsequently arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $4,000 bond.
