A Belleview man was arrested on drug charges recently after he was pulled over for swerving and not wearing a seatbelt.
At around 8:17 a.m. Thursday, a Marion County sheriff’s detective saw a maroon Buick SUV swerving over the white and yellow lane lines and making multiple lane charges while traveling south on 92nd Loop near Baseline Road. The driver was also not wearing a seatbelt, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The detective conducted a traffic stop and a deputy took over the investigation spoke with the driver, 48-year-old Mark Christopher Turner, of 11888 SE 99th Terrace. The deputy conducted a DUI investigation and afterwards asked Turner for permission to search his vehicle. Turner provided consent, the report said.
During the search, the deputy found a clear plastic zip-lock bog containing a white powder residue between the driver’s seat and the lower door frame. Also found in the same area was a white bottle containing a white powder, according to the report.
The detective found a clear plastic container in the storage compartment above the rear-view mirror that contained a crystal substance, and a cut plastic straw was found in the front-right pocket of Turner’s shorts. Turner also had a second valid driver’s license in his wallet on top of the center console, the report said.
The white crystal substance in the plastic container above the rear-view mirror tested positive for methamphetamine. The white powder in the plastic container between the door frame and driver’s seat tested positive for Fentanyl. The cut plastic straw tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the report.
Turner was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug equipment, and possession of more than one driver’s license. He was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was held on $5,500 bond. He’s scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on May 18.