PORT CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Environmental Deputy arrested a Venice man Friday morning for illegally dumping 320 cubic feet of trash on a vacant lot last month in Northwest Port Charlotte. Arrested for felony violation of the litter law was Keith Eric Adams, 20, of the 200 block of Lorraine Avenue. On Sept. 17, the deputy on patrol observed the illegal dumping of yard waste, trash, and a swimming pool solar blanket along the roadside in front of a dwelling in the 1200 block of Madeira Street. The deputy found a piece of mail addressed to a home in the 5200 block of Early Terrace and drove to the house. It was obvious that the bushes in the front had been recently trimmed and there was a swimming pool on the property. The home was unoccupied but there was a realtor’s sign in the front yard.

The realtor finally called the deputy Tuesday, saying she’d been out of the country. She said she hired Adams to clean up the property in early September. She said she was present when Adams completed the work and he told her he was going to take it to the dump. The environmental deputy contacted Adams and he agreed to meet Friday morning at the site where he dumped the trash. They met, and Adams was arrested and taken to the Charlotte County Jail. Bond was set at $2,500.