Charges follow 'drug deal' in Ingles parking lot

The Commerce Police Department continues the investigation of a man whom a witness claimed sold drugs to another man in the Ingles parking lot last week.

Police charged Jason Meeler, 28, of 410 Wilson Cemetery Road, Commerce, with violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act and failure to keep drugs in their original container.

Police were called to the parking lot by a witness who claimed to have seen a drug transaction. According to the arrest report, as police entered the parking lot, Meeler jumped into the passenger side of a Ford Ranger.

Upon approaching the vehicle, an officer observed that Meeler had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and shaking hands, the latter of which Meeler said was caused by “tremors.”

Searching Meeler, officers found a silver container that contained pills inside a plastic bag, and Meeler explained that he was spending the night with the other man and put his medications in the container. Police also turned up a spoon and a small bag containing what police suspected was methamphetamine, but which Meeler said was crushed pills, which he liked to snort. Officers also found a spoon and a straw used in that activity.

Officers also found pills tentatively determined to be Xanax in the center console, which both occupants of the vehicle denied owning, and an officer allegedly found more pills in Meeler’s right front pocket, identified as Valium. He also had more Valium in a prescription bottle in his name.

The driver, a 28-year-old white male, told police that he picked up Meeler as Meeler was walking along U.S. 441, and took him to Ingles, where Meeler directed him to park next to another vehicle. Meeler then went to the other vehicle.

According to the report, Meeler got into the other vehicle with a 26-year-old white male, but both Meeler and the other person denied that a drug transaction took place.