An Ellsworth man was caught in a stolen vehicle filled with illegal drugs after a New Year’s traffic stop near Hager City.

James Myron Leonard, 30, was ordered to pay $5,000 cash bail Tuesday, Jan. 2 in Pierce County Circuit Court on felony possess with intent – amphetamine/methamphetamine > 50 grams (repeater), felony take and drive vehicle without consent (repeater) and possess drug paraphernalia (repeater) charges. The maximum penalty if convicted is up to 40 years in prison and/or fines up to $100,000.

According to the complaint:

A Pierce County sheriff’s deputy performed a traffic stop for an inoperable license plate light at 5:20 p.m. Jan. 1 on a 2007 Buick Lucerne on Highway 35 near County Road VV in the town of Trenton. The driver, identified as Leonard, appeared panicky and could be seen making furtive movements as officers approached the vehicle.

When informed for the traffic stop reason, he said he had just checked the light and it was working. His left arm and right leg could be seen shaking and his pupils appeared to be dilated. He was speaking in short, choppy sentences and his eyes were darting around. Additional officers responded due to Leonard’s history of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Prescott K9 officers also responded to perform a vehicle search.

When stepping out of the vehicle to speak with police, Leonard removed a large pocket knife from his coat pocket. Officers could see in plain view several small unused gem bags on the driver’s side floor and the top part of a torch lighter. He rolled up all the windows and locked the car while denying anything illegal was inside it. When told a K9 would be searching the vehicle, he looked defeated and on the verge of panic, according to the report.

Inside the vehicle, which turned out to reported stolen from Bloomer, officers located a tool bag containing several baggies of methamphetamine (almost 200 grams with packaging), a scale coated in white, powdery residue, a smoking device with burnt residue, a large number of unused gem baggies, and other paraphernalia. The items found are consistent with the sale and distribution of illegal narcotics. The vehicle’s VIN number was covered up with lottery tickets and didn’t match the license plates on the car.

Leonard, who remains in Pierce County Jail, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Pierce County Circuit Court at 1 p.m. Feb. 13.