A Stuart man has pled guilty to a felony drug charge in July.

According to court documents, 47 year old Justin Harlan was arrested earlier this year, and charged with possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) with intent to distribute, a Class D Felony, driving while license denied or revoked and possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine, both serious misdemeanors. The charges stemmed from traffic stop in December, 2024, where Harlan was pulled over for driving when his license was suspended, and drugs were found in the vehicle.

Harlan originally pleaded not guilty to the charges in February, but entered the guilty plea on July 18th. The agreement dismisses the simple misdemeanor for possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), brings jail time for the Class D Felony of possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) with intent to distribute.

According to court documents, as part of the agreement Harlan will serve an indeterminate prison term not to exceed five years, be on probation for five years after serving his prison sentence and pay a $300 supervision fee, along with paying a fine of $1,025 plus a 15 % surcharge. He will also need to pay court costs, and obtain a substance abuse evaluation and mental health evaluation, along with follow up on all recommended treatments for both.