While on patrol last week after midnight, Alpharetta police officers stumbled across a car that was parked in the middle of Haynes Bridge Road near Ga. 400.
When police got to the car, not only did they find two men asleep inside, but they said they also found a felony amount of marijuana, heroin and a revolver.
That discovery landed James Ladarius Gardner, 22, of Atlanta, in jail and led to charges against Michael Tanner Summerlin, 28, of Cumming, according to a police incident report obtained by AJC.com. Both men, who are felons, face five charges.
The incident began about 1:40 a.m. last Thursday when officers discovered the various drugs in the vehicle, the report said. Police said they found more than three ounces of marijuana, two “large chunks” of compressed heroin, two THC oil cartridges and a handgun in the car. The drugs were divided among several plastic bags.
Credit: Alpharetta Department of Public Safety
Credit: Alpharetta Department of Public Safety
Gardner and Summerlin were both detained and interviewed separately at police headquarters.
Their stories did not match, police said.
Summerlin, who spent about nine months in prison after a marijuana distribution conviction, told an investigator that he was in the car to purchase heroin, the report said. He allegedly said he bought a gram and a half of heroin but that the rest of the drugs belonged to Gardner.
Gardner, who spent about eight months in prison after theft and burglary convictions, told the investigator that Summerlin was with him because “he just likes my music,” the report said. He said they were heading to a friend’s house to stay the night when they fell asleep.
He told the investigator that none of the items seized from the car belonged to him.
Since neither suspect admitted to owning the drugs and firearm — which neither could legally own due to their felony convictions — police charged both in connection with the items.
They face counts of trafficking heroin, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a schedule 1 substance in addition to two firearm-related charges.
Gardner was taken to the Clayton County Jail due to an outstanding probation violation warrant, police said. Summerlin was not booked into the Fulton County Jail due to its current COVID-19 policy.
MORE: Fulton public defenders petition for wider release of jail inmates
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