Minor Traffic Violation Leads to Major Drug Arrest

In the late night hours of Tuesday, July 5, Bainbridge Public Safety made a traffic stop that led to a felony drug arrest.

According to the Bainbridge Public Safety incident report, Public Safety Officers Jayson Myers and Timothy Shaw were patrolling North Scott Street in Bainbridge when they observed a 2012 Dodge Avenger with a tag light that wasn’t working.  Myers conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Scott Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and made contact with the driver, Gregory Jones.  Mr. Jones stated the he and his passengers had just gotten off from work at Elberta Crate.

When PSO Myers approached the vehicle, he could smell the “strong odor of what he knows to be green marijuana.  Myers also began to smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle” (BPS Report).  In the car, Myers also made contact with two passengers, John McBride and Devetriss Chukes.  Because of the suspected odor, PSO Myers asked the driver, Gregory Jones, to step to the rear of the vehicle where he questioned Mr. Jones about the odors.  Specifically, he asked Mr. Jones if he had been drinking (to which he responded “no”) and questioned him about the last time he smoked marijuana.  Mr. Jones first stated that he had previously smoked marijuana the day before, but after repeated questioning, admitted that he had smoked around 10:00 that morning.

PSO Myers continued to question Mr. Jones about the marijuana odor and asked if he had anything on him or in his vehicle “that he should not have”.  At first Mr. Jones denied being in possession of anything “that he should not have”, but eventually admitted that he had “two small sacks of weed in his pocket” (BPS Report) and handed the contraband over to PSO Myers.  Myers secured the marijuana in his car and returned to conduct a complete search of Mr. Jones’ person.  During the search, PSO Myers opened the left pocket of Jones’ pants and found two more bags of a green, leafy substance.  Myers also found a “larger clear plastic bag that contained a green leafy substance” in the right pocket of Jones’ pants (BPS Report).

During the search, Myers asked Jones if there was any contraband in the car.  Jones admitted that there was a glass jar near the front passenger seat containing marijuana that belonged to him.  While searching the car, Myers also found “a large bag that contained 8 smaller individual bags that contained a green leafy substance” under the passenger seat.  As Myers was removing the jar and large bag, he spotted another small bag that contained a green leafy substance as well.  Under the driver’s seat, Myers found “a larger white plastic sack that contained a green leafy substance that is suspected to be marijuana.  Myers also observed another small plastic bag that contained a green leafy substance that is suspected to be marijuana…” (BPS Report).

During the search of the vehicle, the passengers were secured and questioned by Officers McCain and George McMillan.  Both passengers denied knowledge of any contraband and Jones admitted that it all belonged to him.  The passengers were allowed to leave.

Gregory Jones was arrested and charged with a felony count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and tail light and tag light requirements (misdemeanor).