4 men arrested in Sarasota in connection with heroin, meth sales; heroin found in suspect's crotch

SARASOTA -- Two men were charged with dealing methamphetamine and heroin and two men were charged with drug possession at a Sarasota hotel Friday night and early Saturday, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies received a tip that Allen Tarvin, 31, was selling large amounts of narcotics out of a room in the The Inn Hotel, 1425 Tamiami Trail, and a white Toyota sedan, according to an arrest report. While observing the room and the car, deputies saw Michael Regal, 28, exit the room and travel in the vehicle.

Deputies performed a traffic stop on the sedan around midnight in the hotel parking lot when Regal and Tarvin were both inside. During questioning Tarvin said they had "clear," a street name for meth, in their hotel room, according to the report. He gave deputies written consent to seach the room and his room key.

Deputies located meth wrapped in a pillowcase on top of the bed, as well as several small ziploc baggies used for packaging and selling drugs and a meth pipe, according to the report. The drug positively tested for meth and weighed 20.8 grams.

Both Tarvin and Regal were arrested at this point, and Regal claimed to have no knowledge of anything in the room. A key to the room as found on his person.

When Tarvin was taken to the jail and placed in the full body scanner, "a large object could be seen in his groin area." Deputies searched Tarvin again and found a syringe and a large ziploc bag of heroin weighing 44.6 grams.

While deputies were questioning Tarvin and Regal by the vehicle, deputies observed two men waiting outside the hotel room. Tarvin told deputies that the men were there to pick up drugs.

Deputies approached David Leineke, 26, and Keith Mcalister, 44, and asked if they had anything illegal with them.

Leineke told deputies he had syringes, and took them out along with an open cigarette box with heroin inside. He told deputies that he forgot he had the heroin with him.

Mcalister denied having anything illegal with him, and then removed a baggie of meth from his sock, according to the report. He dropped the baggie and told deputies it was "dust," another street name for meth.

Leineke and Mcalister were arrested and charged with possession of heroin and meth, respectively. Both were released from the Sarasota County jail on Saturday on $1,500 bond.

Regal was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine and Tarvin was charged with trafficking in heroin and meth. Regal is being held in the Sarasta County jail on $30,000 bond and Tarvin is being held on $75,000 bond.

This story was originally published December 1, 2015 at 10:28 AM with the headline "4 men arrested in Sarasota in connection with heroin, meth sales; heroin found in suspect's crotch ."