Routine traffic stops yield unexpected finds

Traffic stops made by many police departments aren't always just to cite or question the driver about no blinker or driving too fast.

That was the case recently in Whitehouse. Two traffic stops ended with more than a simple citation. This report comes from Det. Mary Pyle.

The first one occurred July 26, when Sgt. Darryl McCartney stopped a vehicle for speeding in the 1200 block of SH 110N. Upon making contact with the driver, who was identified as Brian Lee Bradley, McCartney detected a strong odor of marijuana emitting from Bradley. Bradley then admitted to having a usable amount (a small marijuana cigarette) in the ashtray of his vehicle.

McCartney then asked Bradley to exit the vehicle, at which time a search was conducted of the vehicle. Through the search of the vehicle, McCartney located a prescription bottle which contained 73 suspected prescription pills of Xanax, four Oxycodon pills, two generic-form Vicodin (Hydrocodon) pills, two bottles of suspected prescription Biobe Testosterona and two bottles of suspected Nandrolon Decanoate.

Also located in the search was a bag containing 18 unopened B-D five ml. syringes. Bradley was arrested and transported to the Smith County Jail where he was booked for several counts of possession of a controlled substance.

The second arrest was July 28. K-9 Officer Jordan Hill observed a vehicle leaving from the area of Pro One Automotive and due to the recent vehicle burglary, the location was on a close-in patrol. Hill followed the vehicle as it pulled away and then initiated a traffic stop at the entrance to the Waterton subdivision.

Hill made contact with the driver who was identified as Tiffany Brooke Land and the passenger who was identified as Ronny Clay Luce.

After speaking with both the driver and passenger, Hill became suspicious and requested to search the vehicle, but was denied.

Hill then initiated an "openair sniff" of the outside of the vehicle with his certified K-9 partner "Saphir." The canine alerted several times on the vehicle, at which time Hill was able to establish probable cause to enter the vehicle to conduct a search.

Through the search of the vehicle, Hill and Sgt. James Stewart located approximately 2.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine, as well as drug paraphernalia consisting of scales commonly used for measuring illegal narcotics, a gold in color spoon containing suspected methamphetamine residue, small clear plastic bindles used for packaging illegal narcotics and a clear glass smoking pipe containing suspected methamphetamine residue.

Land and Luce were placed under arrest and transported to the Smith County Jail where they were booked for possession of a controlled substance.