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Drug suspect recants his admission

The Floral City man now says he lied to shield Kimberly Wooten, the wife of the Citrus County Commission chairman.

Lonnie Thomas Arnold said Saturday that he lied to police about owning drugs found in his car in an effort to protect a woman with him: Kimberly Wooten, the wife of Citrus County Commission chairman Josh Wooten.

At his request, Arnold spoke with a Times reporter Saturday morning.

The truth, he said, is that he did not know drugs were in the car when officers searched it Dec. 7. This story contradicts what he told Citrus County sheriff's deputies the morning of his arrest.

Deputies, responding to a complaint of a suspicious vehicle, found Arnold and Mrs. Wooten outside a Floral City home. They searched the car with Arnold's consent and found more than 6 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, a court record says.

Arnold, 38, of Floral City, told officers that the drugs were his. He also signed a statement saying he had gotten the drugs from a 15-year-old.

Arnold has pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He has a lengthy arrest record, including one other drug arrest.

Mrs. Wooten said Saturday that she and another woman were traveling with Arnold in the early hours of Dec. 7. That morning, her husband was attending a political convention in Orlando, and the children were in the care of her mother.

She said they both asked Arnold numerous times to take them home, but he insisted on making a stop at the Floral City residence. There, Arnold and the other woman got out and left Mrs. Wooten alone in the car.

Mrs. Wooten, 29, who has no arrest record, was not arrested that morning, but deputies questioned her. She acknowledged that she is battling an addiction to Xanax.

When contacted by the Times on Saturday, the Wootens said Arnold is lying now in a desperate attempt to help himself.

"He's going to do anything he can to get out of the drug charge(s)," Mrs. Wooten said.

Mr. Wooten repeatedly emphasized Arnold's criminal record and the statement Arnold signed saying that the drugs were his.

"We're not going to continue to dwell on this. ... We've moved past this," Mr. Wooten said, adding that they have received many calls, letters and cards of support from the community. "We've got to move on."

- Times staff writer Jim Ross contributed to this report. Suzannah Gonzales can be reached at 352 860-7312 or sgonzales@sptimes.com