A Silver Springs man was arrested on drug charges after leading Marion County sheriff’s deputies on a brief car chase Wednesday.
Joseph Aaron Grogan, 36, of 191 N. Hwy. 314-A, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana (less than 20 grams), possession of drug paraphernalia, fleeing/eluding law enforcement with lights and siren active, and operating a motor vehicle without a license.
At approximately 9:30 a.m., a lieutenant observed Grogan driving south along the 100 block of SE 170th Avenue with a license plate that was not visible because it was spray painted black. The lieutenant turned around in his unmarked vehicle and tried to conduct a traffic stop, according to the sheriff’s office report.
Grogan pulled into the Circle K gas station at 16991 E. Hwy. 40 and dropped off a female passenger before taking off again and heading westbound on the grassy side of East Highway 40, with the lieutenant following with his emergency lights on, the report said.
A deputy from the Forest District office joined the pursuit and took the lead in a marked patrol car with emergency lights and siren activated, but Grogan still refused to stop. He finally pulled into a residence on NE 2nd Street, where he was taken into custody without incident, according to the report.
A computer check showed Grogan has never had a driver’s license. The deputy searched Grogan and found a cigarette package containing plastic bag with a green leaf-like substance, another plastic bag with a small amount of a crystal-like substance, and a third package with a cloudy rock-like substance inside. The leaf-like substance field-tested positive for marijuana, while the crystal-like and rock-line substances tested positive for methamphetamine. A grinder was also located in Grogan’s pocket, the report said.
Grogan was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was being held Thursday on $6,500 bond. He will appear in Marion County Jail on Oct. 8.