Painesville Twp. man facing firearms, drug charges

A Painesville Township man is facing firearms and drug charges after an early morning traffic stop April 6 in the township.

At 12:28 a.m., Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies pulled over a black Volkswagen for allegedly violating several traffic safety laws near the intersection of Hardy Road and Fairport Nursery Road, according to the sheriff’s office.

During the course of the traffic stop, one of the passengers in the vehicle was alleged to be illegally in possession of several items, according to the sheriff’s office. Those items were a loaded revolver, one AR-15 style rifle, one AR-15 style loaded magazine, a “large sum” of U.S. currency, tools related to narcotics trafficking and several drugs.

The suspect was taken into custody, according to the department.

Eric A. McElroy, 24, was charged in Painesville Municipal Court with multiple felonies. Those charges were second-degree felony methamphetamine trafficking, second-degree felony methamphetamine possession, two third-degree felony counts of having weapons under disability, two counts of fourth-degree felony improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, fifth-degree felony possession of psilocybin mushrooms, fifth-degree felony possession of oxymorphone hydrochloride and two counts of fifth-degree felony possession of criminal tools.

McElroy is also facing misdemeanor charges of possession of diazepam and two counts of carrying a concealed weapon.

Bond was set at $85,000, according to court records. A preliminary hearing in Painesville Municipal Court is scheduled for April 13.

COURTESY OF THE LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE The Lake County Sheriff’s Office alleges a passenger of a car pulled over for traffic violations in Painesville Township March 26was illegally in possession of multiple drugs and firearms.