A convicted felon was nabbed with a loaded gun and 43 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a Pringles potato chip can.
Nicholas Smith Meekins, 44, of Summerfield, was driving a blue Hyundai Santa Fe with Indiana license plates at about 2 a.m. Thursday when he failed to come to a complete stop at Southeast Timucuan Road and Southeast Sunset Harbor Road, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
During a traffic stop, the Baltimore, Md. native admitted his driver’s license had been suspended for a drunk driving conviction and he never got it reinstated. A K-9 unit arrived on the scene and the dog alerted on the vehicle, indicating the likely presence of drugs.
Meekins, who has a long criminal history, was carrying a .25-caliber firearm with a round in the chamber.
A Pringles potato chip can was found next to the driver’s seat. It contained 43 grams of methamphetamine and 2.5 grams of fentanyl. Three glass pipes were also found in the vehicle.
He was arrested on charges of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, carrying an unlicensed weapon, drug trafficking, drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while license suspended. He was booked at the Marion County Jail on $151,000 bond.
