A member of the leasing team at The Lofts at Brownwood was arrested on Independence Day on a drunk driving charge.
Jeremy Powell, 29, who lives in The Villages, was at the wheel of a black Kia with Illinois license plates at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday on State Road 25 when he was captured on radar driving 57 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. During a traffic stop, a police officer suspected Powell had been drinking and observed an open 12-pack of Modelo beer in his car. There was also a cartridge containing Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC.)
Powell admitted he had consumed “three beers,” the report said. He struggled through field sobriety exercises and provided breath samples that registered .105 and .099 blood alcohol content.
He was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked at the Lake County Jail and released after posting $3,000 bond.
According to his profile on The Villages website, Powell was born in Wauconda, Ill., a town made famous in the “Blues Brothers” movies.
“He first visited Florida to visit his grandparents, who moved here in 1998. While they claimed the move was in favor of a warmer climate, Jeremy understood at a young age that climate was only a small part of this wonderful new hometown called The Villages. He is grateful that his grandparents were able to pursue not only the things they enjoyed together, but their individual interests as well,” his bio states on The Villages’ site.