A traffic stop conducted by officers with the Sneads Police Department recently led to the arrest of two individuals on charges related to drug possession.
According to the report issued by the department, on Monday, January 9, officers with the Sneads Police Department conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Eugenia Street and Third Avenue in Sneads.
The stop, which was made on a 2012 Grey Nissan sedan, was related to a traffic violation.
The report states that while officers were engaged in the traffic stop, they became aware that the sedan’s passenger, Nicholes Tindel, age 38, had provided a false name to law enforcement.
Tindel had an active arrest warrant out for charges related to violating the terms of his probation out of Jackson County and officers believe the false name was provided so that they would not be alerted to his warrant.
Once the Sneads officers determined Tindel’s true identity, he was placed under arrest and searched, which revealed drug paraphernalia in his front pocket.
At this time, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit was called, and upon arriving at scene of the traffic stop, the K9 was allowed a free air sniff of the vehicle, resulting in the K9 alerting its handler to the presence of illegal narcotics around the vehicle.
This allowed law enforcement to engage in a probable cause search of the vehicle, thereby finding drug paraphernalia were located, which Tindel took ownership of.
In the back seat, where Samuel Whittington, age 32, was seated, officers located drug paraphernalia and approximately 4.75 grams of methamphetamine that was scattered in the seat and floorboard.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the officers determined that Whittington had attempted to destroy the methamphetamine as the traffic stop began so it would not be discovered by law enforcement.
Tindel was arrested on the charges of giving false identification to law enforcement officers, and for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Whittington was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, tampering with physical evidence, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Ashley Hunter – editor@prioritynews.net
