Police: Man Swallows Crack During Aborted Drug Deal

A man faces a bevy of drugs and weapon charges after he was arrested during a suspected drug deal by Mentor Police Tuesday in a McDonald's parking lot along Route 306.

Officers spotted 19-year-old Kevin Carter getting in a car with Justin Pitts and Suellen Manley to sell them $60 worth of crack cocaine, Mentor Police Sgt. Richard Slovenkay said.

Police stopped the deal and arrested Carter, Pitts, Manley and Samantha Eslinger, who drove Carter to McDonald's, Slovenkay said.

When officers arrested Carter, he tried to hide the crack cocaine by swallowing it, according to police. Consequently, he was charged with tampering with evidence. Carter was also taken to the hospital as a safety precaution.

When police searched Eslinger's car, they found a loaded 9 mm Glock handgun with its serial number scratched off beneath Carter's seat. Carter was previously convicted of drug trafficking so he's not legally allowed to own a gun.

As a result, Carter will face several weapons charges including carrying a concealed weapon, defacing a firearm and possessing a weapon under a disability. The "disability" in this case is Carter's previous trafficking conviction.

Furthermore, the handgun police found was stolen during a burglary in Painesville so Carter was also charged with receiving stolen property.

Finally, Carter was charged with possession and trafficking cocaine.

He was arraigned Thursday in and is being held on a $100,000 bond.

Meanwhile, Pitts and Manley will face misdemeanor drug charges.

Eslinger, 21, was charged with a felony count of permitting drug abuse and a misdemeanor count of endangering children, because she had her 2-year-old son in the car with her during the suspected drug deal.