PICAYUNE —
Four separate routine traffic stops made by Picayune Police officers found suspects who also appeared to be in violation of drug laws.
Each stop was conducted over the past weekend and made for routine traffic violations, but each led to the discovery of some sort of controlled substance in the vehicle or on the person of someone in the vehicle.
Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police Jeremy Magri said the first stop was made Saturday morning just after 7:30 when a patrol officer traveling on Union School Road noticed a vehicle swerve twice into the path of oncoming traffic before getting back into the correct lane. The erratic driving prompted the officer to stop the vehicle. The officer came into contact with driver, 23-year-old Aaron Chilton of 2315 Millswood Dr. and his passenger 23-year-old Andrew Walters of 33 Grady Landry Rd., Carriere, Magri said.
The officer noticed the two men moving around the vehicle in a frantic manner as he approached them, Magri said. Upon asking for Chilton’s driver’s license, he learned Chilton did not have one, so a check with the National Crime Information Center provided information that the license had been suspended for a DUI conviction, Magri said. Chilton also could not produce proof of insurance, Magri said.
Chilton was taken into custody on the charge of driving while license suspended and cited for the lack of insurance before the officer requested consent to search his vehicle, Magri said. After consent was granted, the officer found a small amount of a loose, green, leafy substance believed to be marijuana on the floorboard, the administrative assistant said.
Neither Chilton nor Walters claimed ownership of the controlled substance, resulting in both men being charged with possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle, Magri said.
The next three arrests also took place on Saturday. The first occurred just after 9:30 a.m. when a patrol officer conducted a stop on a vehicle driven by 32-year-old Edward Lucas of 27 Rouse Rd., for no turn signal, Magri said. Lucas also did not have proof of insurance nor a driver’s license, Magri said. An NCIC check found his license had been suspended because of a failure to appear warrant, the administrative assistant said.
Magri said Lucas was taken into custody on the charge of driving while license suspended. An inventory of the vehicle found a burnt, hand-rolled cigarette believed to contain marijuana on the floorboard, leading to the addition of the charge of possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle against Lucas, the administrative assistant said. Magri said Lucas also was cited for no proof of insurance and no turn signal.
Just after 4 p.m., a patrol officer saw a vehicle driven by 55-year-old Al Taylor of 2704 Victoria Dr., traveling at 42 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone, Magri said.
The officer conducting the stop noticed Taylor get out of the vehicle and act nervously as he attempted to distance himself from the driver’s side of the vehicle, Magri said. After inspecting Taylor’s driver’s license and finding no proof of insurance, the officer requested consent to search the vehicle. Consent was granted and the officer noticed two baggies containing a green, leafy substance believed to be marijuana on the ground near the driver’s side door, Magri said. In the trunk of the vehicle the officer found a third bag of the same substance hidden in a shoe, Magri said.
Taylor was charged with possession of a controlled substance, no insurance and speeding, Magri said.
Just before 11 p.m., a patrol officer traveling along South Haugh noticed the driver of a truck heading down the street while holding the driver’s side door open, Magri said. Due to the unsafe nature of the act, a stop was conducted and the officer found 42-year-old Fredrick E. Beverly of 201 1/2 E. Canal St., behind the wheel, Magri said.
A check of Beverly’s driver’s license determined it had been suspended, leading to the charge of driving while license suspended, Magri said. As the officer conducted a pat down of Beverly, a single dose of Tramadol, a schedule 4 controlled substance, was found in Beverly’s pocket, Magri said.
Beverly was charged with possession of a controlled substance, driving while license suspended, careless driving and no proof of insurance, Magri said.
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