Holmes Beach police officers Aug. 19 arrested Bradenton resident James Long, 50, on a third-degree felony charge for possessing fentanyl.
Long also was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for driving with a suspended license and a second-degree misdemeanor for attaching an improper license plate to his vehicle.
The Holmes Beach Police Department first received a ping from its license plate recognition system for a vehicle with suspicious tags.
Two officers stopped the motorist, Long, along Gulf Drive.
Long told the officers the license plate was his wife’s, which he was using because his vehicle was not registered. He added that he didn’t have a license because his was suspended.
The officers arrested Long and searched the vehicle, finding two pill bottles with bags containing a white powdery residue that Long admitted had been fentanyl, a synthetic narcotic.
The officers transported Long to the Manatee County jail, where he was released Aug. 20 after posting $2,120 bond.
An arraignment will be at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 10, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
A third-degree felony charge carries a maximum sentence of up to five years, a fine of up to $5,000 and up to five years of probation.