PORT CHARLOTTE — Charlotte County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man after an investigative traffic stop and seized 114.3 grams of cocaine and 75.3 grams of marijuana. Arrested was John James Lovely, 50, of the 1100 block of Davis Lane, Englewood (Sarasota County side). It all started at 5:26 p.m. Thursday when CCSO received a shoplifting call from Kohl’s Department Store in Port Charlotte. The suspect vehicle that fled was a white Dodge Avenger driven by a white female wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and white shoes. A deputy spotted a white Dodge Avenger driven by a woman on S.R. 776 and made an investigative stop at Cornelius Boulevard. The deputy told the driver and her passenger, Lovely, why he stopped her and the theft investigation CCSO was doing. The driver also was wearing the same type clothing reported in the shoplifting BOLO.

The deputy asked if he could search the vehicle and the driver hesitated at first, became upset, then gave consent to search the rental car from Hertz. Nothing was located in the trunk, however, in the back seat were several bags, one was a large black bag. Upon opening the bag deputies removed a green container with three plastic baggies with a large amount of marijuana. Also in the bag was a Powerade container with four small baggies of cocaine. Deputies investigating the Kohl’s shoplifting case responded to the traffic stop and were able to verify that the driver was not the Kohl’s suspect they were looking for; the driver was then free to go. Lovely was transported to the Charlotte County Jail on charges of trafficking in cocaine, possession of marijuana more than 20 grams, and possession of narcotics paraphernalia. Lovely remains in the County Jail at this time on no bond.