Bond was set for a Galesburg man on felony drug and possession of stolen property charges stemming from a weekend arrest.
46-year-old David M. Poplett made a video appearance in Knox County Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon where Judge Paul L. Mangerie set his bail at $1,500 and appointed the public defender’s office to represent him. Poplett faces Class 3 felonies of possession of methamphetamine under five grams, and for control of stolen property.
According to police reports, officers observed a subject riding a bicycle – later identified as Poplett – to make numerous traffic violations and attempted to stop him Sunday afternoon at around 3:56. Once he was signaled to pull over, officers allegedly saw him ride onto a sidewalk and drop a yellow plastic baggie before pulling back into the street to stop.
Police reports describe Poplett as swaying from side to side and to have an excited and quick speech. When asked if he had dropped anything he denied it. When pressed about it, he admitted to dropping a small amount of cannabis, saying he didn’t want to get arrested. Officers would find the baggie and observed a white crystallized substance inside that they suspected was meth.
Poplett was arrested and searched with no contraband being found on him. Officers would also learn that the bike he was riding to have been reported stolen.
Poplett would tell police that he bought the meth for a friend. When asked about the bicycle, he told police that he had purchased it for $250 from an individual in the area of Lincoln Street and North Farnham about three years prior. Officers though knew the bike had been reported stolen in March of 2017. When told the bicycle was reported stolen earlier than that, Poplett said that he had bought it approximately two years ago.
The suspected meth field tested positive and weighed in at 0.3 grams.
Judge Mangieri scheduled a preliminary hearing for October 30th in Poplett’s case.
