Port Charlotte resident Troy Lantz, 52, will be on probation through August 2025 but a guilty ruling will not be on his record.
Lantz was arrested July 2 after a Holmes Beach police officer saw him drive through a flashing red traffic light without stopping at the intersection of Gulf Drive and Manatee Avenue.
The officer stopped Lantz, who appeared intoxicated, and saw him try to hide a plastic bag containing a white substance. The substance later tested positive as cocaine.
The officer attempted to arrest Lantz, but did not handcuff him until backup arrived due to physical resistance.
Lantz was charged with a third-degree felony for possession of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, and a first-degree misdemeanor for resisting or obstructing police without violence.
While a conviction for third-degree felonies can result in up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000, Lantz will not face the full extent of those punishments.
He pleaded no contest to the third-degree felony and first-degree misdemeanor charges at a Feb. 21 hearing.
Judge Frederick Mercurio of the 12th Circuit Court ruled during the same hearing to withhold adjudication — when sanctions are ordered without issuing a formal conviction for a crime — for the two charges against Lantz.
Mercurio also ruled to place Lantz on probation for 18 months, as well as required him to complete 50 hours of community service and a substance abuse evaluation.