A Panama City man found passed out in his car with drugs and paraphernalia visible was sentenced to 54 months in prison today, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Avery Lane McSwain, 44, pled No Contest to Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 14 grams), Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Paraphernalia. Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register accepted the plea and sentence, which includes a 3-year minimum-mandatory under Florida’s enhanced drug statutes. The defendant was also fined $50,000.
Prosecutor Jeff Moore was prepared to call witnesses and introduce evidence that the defendant was in possession of the drugs in his car on June 2, 2024.
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Bay County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. J. Turner and Deputy D. Heape were on patrol that morning when they saw the defendant’s vehicle on the shoulder of Big Daddy drive with the defendant “slumped over” in front of the steering wheel
The deputies stopped to check on the man’s welfare and could see a piece of tin foil with suspected drug residue, a straw used to snort drugs, a clear baggie with powder in it, and a lighter. They awakened the defendant and asked him to exit the vehicle.
In the pocket of the opened driver’s door, deputies saw a baggie of a clear substance that turned out to be about 21 grams of methamphetamine.
The defendant has a long history of drug-related arrests and previously served a short prison term for possession of heroin.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies for their proactive efforts on patrol.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.