POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 34-year-old Lakeland man faces multiple narcotics charges after an early Monday morning traffic stop in Winter Haven uncovered methamphetamine and an active arrest warrant.
A deputy with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a gray 2017 Chevrolet Malibu around 2 a.m. on Monday, August 31, 2026, near the intersection of Cypress Gardens Boulevard and Cypress Gardens Road.
Authorities identified the driver as Charles Cory Franklin Stewart. When asked for his ID, Stewart handed over a Florida identification card rather than a driver’s license, telling the deputy that “it was too hard to get one nowadays.”
While getting out of the car, Stewart pushed a bag underneath the driver’s seat. Deputies searched the bag and discovered methamphetamine alongside hypodermic needles.
A records check revealed Stewart had an active Polk County warrant for failure to appear for multiple hearings and motions related to two counts of failing to register as a career offender.
Deputies transported Stewart to the Sheriff’s Processing Center. In addition to the outstanding warrant, authorities charged him with third-degree felony possession of methamphetamine, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor keeping a vehicle for drugs, and misdemeanor driving with a suspended or revoked license.
READ: Polk County K9 Unit Tracks Down Lakeland Man Accused Of Attacking Pregnant Woman
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