Traffic stop leads to arrest of Edinburgh man on drug, gun-related charges

<p>An Edinburgh traffic stop for a mismatched license plate led to the arrest of an unlicensed driver who was under the influence of drugs, and the discovery of an illegal gun and methamphetamine. </p><p>Curtis V. Thompson, 40, of Edinburgh, was arrested on several charges including driving without a license, possession of methamphetamine while armed, possession of paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, possession of a handgun without a license and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. </p><p>Police stopped Thompson Thursday evening after an officer ran the plates on a blue Ford truck Thompson was driving and found the plates were registered to a green Chevy, according to an Edinburgh Police Department report. </p><p>After following Thompson for a short distance, the officer initiated the traffic stop near the intersection of Franklin Street and Shelby Avenue, according to the report. </p><p>Thompson advised the officer he was borrowing the license plate, that he didn’t have a registration for the plate or the title for the truck, but did have evidence of insurance, the report said. </p><p>After it was determined that Thompson’s license had been revoked, he was arrested and the vehicle was impounded, according to the report.</p><p>During a search of the vehicle, the officer found a burnt cigarette containing a green-plant material in an ashtray, and a gun in the dashboard of the truck. One bullet was found in the chamber of the gun, the report said.</p><p>Another officer searched Thompson and found a pipe containing methamphetamine residue that he tried to hide in his pants, according to the report.</p><p>Thompson told police he had smoked methamphetamine about an hour before driving, and that he was currently working, the report said.</p><p>The officers had Thompson perform field sobriety tests, which he failed, according to the report. </p><p>Thompson was taken to the Johnson County jail and released Friday morning on $14,000 bond. The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office will decide what, if any, charges to file. </p><p>Thompson has a history of unlicensed driving and substance- or alcohol-related charges dating back to 1998 across multiple counties, according to online court records. Most recently, on May 23, Thompson was charged with possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia in a still-pending case filed in Johnson County Superior Court 2.</p>