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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
After it was determined that Thompson’s license had been revoked, he was arrested and the vehicle was impounded, according to the report.
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.
Another officer searched Thompson and found a pipe containing methamphetamine residue that he tried to hide in his pants, according to the report.
Thompson told police he had smoked methamphetamine about an hour before driving, and that he was currently working, the report said.
The officers had Thompson perform field sobriety tests, which he failed, according to the report.
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.
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.
