Two men were arrested in Fort McCoy after a deputy found drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop.
On Sunday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a white Chrysler PT Cruiser turn into the Dollar General parking lot located at 25352 E County Road 316 in Fort McCoy.
A check of the vehicle’s Ohio license plate revealed that the registration had expired on May 10, 2021.
The deputy approached the 33-year-old driver, Charles Daniel Wright, who stated that he did not have a valid driver’s license. According to Wright, he had just purchased the vehicle.
The vehicle’s 25-year-old backseat passenger, Anthony Leon Mitchell, was ordered outside of the vehicle along with another passenger.
The deputy searched Wright and discovered a pipe inside a bandana that was in his possession. The pipe later field tested positive for methamphetamine.
While the deputy was placing Wright into the back of the patrol car, the deputy observed Mitchell walking around the back side of the PT Cruiser. According to the MCSO report, it appeared that he was grabbing items from his pocket and throwing them.
The deputy ordered Mitchell to return to the driver’s side of the vehicle. A pat down search revealed that he had four baggies with an unknown residue inside his pocket.
Mitchell stated that the baggies contained marijuana. He then started to rip one of the baggies.
The deputy detained Mitchell, searched the PT Cruiser, and found a baggie with a crystal-like substance in the location where Mitchell had previously been standing on the passenger side of the vehicle. The substance later field tested positive for methamphetamine.
Mitchell admitted to smoking marijuana and claimed that the baggies from his pocket were empty. He stated that he was unsure why he started tearing one of the baggies.
He denied throwing anything, and he denied ownership of the baggie containing methamphetamine.
Wright and Mitchell were both arrested and transported to Marion County Jail.
Mitchell is being held on $3,000 bond and faces a felony charge for drug possession and a misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Wright is being held on $1,500 bond and faces misdemeanor charges for driving without a license and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A court date has not been scheduled yet for Mitchell or Wright, according to jail records.