PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.- Charlotte County Sheriff's deputies arrested a Port Charlotte man after receiving a narcotics tip of alleged drug transactions being conducted on Agnew Street in Port Charlotte near Harold Avenue Park. The street is surrounded by woods and has no houses.

The tip reported one vehicle in particular, grey/blue in color with shiny rims, appears on a regular basis and other vehicles would meet this particular car between 7:30 and 9 p.m. on four separate occasions in the past several weeks.

A deputy patrolled the area Tuesday evening and saw a grey vehicle without lights parked on the side of Agnew Street. The deputy observed the car to be a 2004 Mercury with a Florida tag. The driver seeing the deputy turned on his car lights and drove off, made a U-turn, and drove back toward the deputy. The deputy then made a traffic stop at Agnew and Harold Avenue.

The deputy asked the driver, John Anthony Gaconi, 30, of Port Charlotte, why he was parked on the road without lights. Gaconi replied he was having car problems. He consented to a search of his person which he did willingly. When asked for consent to search his car, he refused. A CCSO drug sniffing K9 responded and alerted on the car. A search located Crack Cocaine on the console next to the driver’s seat.

Gaconi was arrested and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (Crack Cocaine). He was transported to the Charlotte County Jail and released this morning on $2,500 bond. This is Gaconi’s 13^th booking with 18 records in the County Jail. Anyone with knowledge of illegal drug activity is asked to please call the CCSO Narcotics Unit at 941-575-2157, or Crime Stoppers at 800-780-TIPS (8477).