Holmes Beach police arrested James Stokes, 29, of Bradenton, April 2 on a third-degree felony for possession of methamphetamine, a controlled substance.
At about 3:30 a.m., an officer at the Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, saw a vehicle parked in the lot, which closed to the public at 10 p.m. the night before.
The officer had called for backup and approached the vehicle when a man, identified as Stokes, introduced himself as the vehicle owner.
After backup arrived, one officer stood with Stokes while another searched databases for wants and warrants.
During that time, both officers observed Stokes to be nervous and fidgety, so they asked if he “had anything on him that was making him nervous,” according to a report.
The officers asked Stokes if they could search him and he agreed.
During the search, the officers found a plastic bag in a pants pocket that contained a “small white jagged substance” that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Stokes told police the substance was what remained of his last Adderall prescription but he did not provide proof of such a prescription.
The officers arrested Stokes and transported him to the Holmes Beach Police Department, where the substance was weighed to be 0.5 grams.
An officer then transported Stokes to the Manatee County jail, where he was released April 3 after posting $120 bond.
Stokes’ attorney, Layron Gaither from the public defender’s office, filed a not guilty plea April 6 on behalf of his client.
If convicted, punishment for a third-degree felony charge includes up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000.
An arraignment will be at 9 a.m. Friday, May 12, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.