Karen Brady
A routine traffic stop led to the arrest of six Grady County residents on drug charges early Thursday morning.
Ninnekah Police Officer Danny Cole said he saw a red pickup run a red light, traveling east on Hwy 19, about midnight Wednesday.
He stopped the pickup and noticed marijuana on the lap of the front seat passenger. Two of the four traveling in the pickup were arrested for possession of drugs, one of whom told the police where he bought the substance. That tip lead to the arrest of four more people in Chickasha.
“I got behind them and turned on my lights; when they stopped on a bridge, I knew something was up,” Cole said.
After instructing the driver to pull off of the bridge and onto the side of the road, Cole approached the vehicle.
“As I was talking to the driver, I noticed some marijuana shake (powder and seeds) in the passenger’s lap,” Cole said.
Cole then asked the passenger what was on his lap, to which the man replied “nothing.” Cole told him he knew it was marijuana and asked him where the marijuana was.
“He pulled a half-pound of marijuana out of his sweat pants,” Cole said.
Cole then searched the four men in the pickup, finding more marijuana and paraphernalia on one of the other passengers, he said.
Cole then arrested the juvenile who was in possession of the half-pound of marijuana and who took full responsibility for the drugs. He also arrested Caleb Smith, 18, on charges of possession of marijuana and paraphernalia after finding pot in Smith’s front left pocket and a “marijuana grinder” in his right coat pocket.
Cole cited the driver for running the red light. The fourth man was not charged because he didn’t have any marijuana and he wasn’t driving, Cole said.
The drug arrest did not involve a K-9 because it was a “plain view search” said Cole. Because the way the marijuana was packaged, Smith wasn’t charged with intent to distribute, which is a felony. Instead, he will face misdemeanor charges.
Cole then notified the Grady County Sheriff’s Office, which sent deputies to a residence in Chickasha.
“We did a ‘Knock and Talk’ and arrested four more people,” said Grady County Undersheriff Jim Weir. “One of them was a juvenile and she was later released to her father.”
Weir said deputies found several more bags of marijuana inside the house.
“It was enough to charge them with possession and intent to distribute,” Weir said.
Cole said: “This is a perfect example of interdepartmental cooperation. Other departments in the county are stepping up to the plate. This is not the first marijuana bust I’ve gotten out there.”
