PORTER — What first appeared to be a marijuana arrest turned into more when the accused was searched at the Porter County Jail, police said.
Porter police said Michael McLemore, 30, of Hazel Crest, Illinois, was found hiding 71 suspected Oxycodone pills in his pants.
McLemore, who was wanted on a Lake County warrant for criminal trespassing, faces a felony count of possessing a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of marijuana, according to the incident report.
Porter police said they first spotted McLemore around 11 p.m. Sunday in a vehicle stopped on U.S. 20 in the area of Beam Street. The eastbound vehicle then began moving slowly and swerving between lanes.
The officer stopping the vehicle smelled a strong odor of marijuana and noticed a commercial packet of marijuana on the vehicle's center console. A total of four packets of marijuana were found weighing just under a half ounce total.
McLemore became agitated and insisted on being taken to the hospital where he refused to be seen by a doctor, police said.
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"It was apparent Michael's behavior was simply a ploy to avoid going to jail," police said.
While being strip searched at the jail, officer discovered the bag of pills hidden in McLemore's pants.
Bob Kasarda
Porter/LaPorte County Courts and Social Justice Reporter
Bob is a 23-year veteran of The Times. He covers county government and courts in Porter County, federal courts, police news and regional issues. He also created the Vegan in the Region blog, is an Indiana University grad and lifelong region resident.
