A 48-year-old Bainbridge Island man was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a felony, after police allegedly found him sleeping overnight at a property under construction on Knechtel Way.

Richard Thomas Koprowski was arrested just after 2:30 a.m. Friday, Aug.  29.

According to court papers, police were patrolling in the 300 block of Knechtel Way after an earlier report of an unwanted person sleeping at a property under construction during the evening.

When police returned to the scene at 2 a.m., an officer found the structure unlocked and immediately saw a man later identified as Koprowski sleeping on the floor.

Koprowski allegedly told an officer he was just looking for a place “to rest his head because he had overstayed his welcome at a friend’s house.”

Koprowski refused to give an officer the name of that friend, and another Bainbridge officer said Koprowski had been found earlier at the location and was told to stay away.

While Koprowski was being searched before his arrest, police allegedly found two medical elastic bands in his front left pocket. When asked if he possessed any needles, he allegedly said they were in his sock.

Police removed two syringes from the man’s right ankle sock; one was dry and the other was half filled with a clear liquid. The liquid later tested positive for methamphetamine.

Koprowski was charged with possession of a controlled substance Friday, Aug. 29 in Kitsap County District Court.

Possession of a controlled substance carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine upon conviction.