MIDDLEBURG – An alert Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was answering another call wound up arresting a Middleburg man on several drug-related charges after realizing his tag had been reported stolen in Jacksonville.

Todd Wade Powers, 37, was booked into the Clay County Jail with a $420,017 bond, after being charged with committing a first-degree felony with a firearm, possession of methamphetamine with the intention to sell, manufacture or distribute, trafficking cocaine, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and two counts of possessing firearms by a convicted felon after a deputy was called to a convenience store on County Road 218 on April 30 after a woman said her child was missing.

When the deputy arrived, he didn’t find the woman who reported the missing child, but he saw a Honda at the gas pump and noticed the license tag. He verified the tag was reported stolen. When Powers returned to the car, he said it wasn’t his car. He said he was trying to jump-start another car parked next to the Honda.

The deputy noticed the VIN number of the Honda was scratched out, and when Powers used the Honda to jump-start the other car, the deputy also noticed a Honda key hanging from Powers’ belt loop. The deputy took the key, and it opened, locked and unlocked the Honda.

On the passenger seat, deputies found an open bag containing firearms and cocaine. In all, deputies uncovered 92.8 grams of cocaine, 9.7 grams of methamphetamine, 34.7 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, a glass pipe and two handguns.

Powers’ next court date is May 28.