[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 08/23/20]
CLERMONT, Florida — Seven was not a lucky number for a Clermont man who was booked into the Lake County Jail Wednesday for the seventh time.
The Mid Florida SWAT Team, comprised of deputies and officers from several local law enforcement agencies, served a search warrant at 657 Pitt Street, Clermont Wednesday morning that yielded a gun stolen from Polk County, a trafficking amount of heroin and small amounts of cocaine and marijuana, and resulted in the arrest of a 30-year-old man, according to an arrest affidavit.
Rashad Jamal Neal told a Lake County Sheriff’s detective he lives at the home on Pitt Street and indicated a rear bedroom on the home was his, according to the affidavit. The bedroom was searched, and a gun stolen from Polk County in 2019 was found in his closet, along with multiple magazines. Law enforcement also found 14 grams of heroin — a trafficking amount— 24 grams of marijuana and a small bag of cocaine.
Neal was charged with trafficking in heroin, grand theft of a firearm, possession of marijuana more than 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of cocaine. Neal’s bond was revoked on a prior aggravated assault charge and he is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
