LOWER LAKE – LAKE COUNTY A Sacramento man traveling through Lower Lake, a town at the south end of Clear Lake, was pulled over Saturday at 5 pm because his Ford pickup truck did not have the licence plates properly displayed. The traffic stop resulted in a drug arrest for the 30-year-old driver, Solomon Schumaker.
According to Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, when the deputy addressed Schumaker about the plates, he noticed that he seemed to be under the influence of a central nervous system stimulant, which may be methamphetamine, cocaine, or any number of other legal or illegal drugs. He asked Schumaker to come out of the truck and administered a series of tests, which he failed. The deputy placed him under arrest for being under the influence of a controlled substance.
The deputy and his partners continued to search Schumaker’s vehicle, and found evidence that he was operating as a drug dealer. They located 16 ounces of crystal meth and 1.75 ounces of cocaine. He also had a digital scale and packaging materials, and a .32 caliber loaded semi-automatic pistol. They also found several bundles of cash totaling $5,500.00 stashed in a towel under the driver’s seat.
According to Schumaker’s Facebook page, he is a certified arborist who works on tree maintenance, trimming and removal for a Sacramento company. A records check by the Lake Sheriffs also revealed that he is a convicted felon.
He was booked into Lake County’s Hill Road Correctional Facility and charged with possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance and possession while armed, in addition to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and his earlier under the influence charges. The cash was seized and will likely be forfeited as profits form illegal narcotics sales.