A man was found sleeping in his car, which had been parked for several days at a recreation center in The Villages.
Community Watch called law enforcement at 4:45 a.m. Wednesday to report a “suspicious vehicle” that had been “in the parking lot for several days” at the Tierra Del Sol Recreation Center, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
A deputy arrived at the recreation center and found 57-year-old David Morley Pope, who lives on the Historic Side of The Villages, sleeping in the front passenger seat. He was identified by his Michigan driver’s license.
A search of the vehicle turned up one gram of methamphetamine, which was found hidden inside Pope’s cell phone case. He was also in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was taken into custody on charges of drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $3,500 bond.
Pope has a history of arrests:
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This past August, he was driving a golf cart and ran a stop sign, leading to the discovery of drug paraphernalia in his possession.
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He was arrested in January 2025 when he was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
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In 2021, he was driving a golf cart on County Road 25 near the Blue Parrot RV Resort when he tossed out a pipe with methamphetamine residue.