BEDFORD — A 41-year-old Mitchell man was arrested Thursday, September 10th, on felony drug dealing charges after a traffic stop led to the discovery of approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Lawrence County Sheriff’s Officer Kaden Flynn, he was patrolling west on 5th Street when he observed a green Subaru Forester operating without its headlights or taillights illuminated. Officer Flynn initiated a traffic stop, and the vehicle pulled over at the intersection of 5th Street and J Street.
Police identified the driver and sole occupant as Justin Terrell, 41, of Mitchell. While interacting with Terrell, officers noted nervous behavior, including an inability to maintain eye contact. Additionally, Terrell’s driver’s license listed a Mitchell address, contradicting his statement that he had just left his residence down the road in Bedford.
Officer Kenton Carter arrived at the scene with his K9 partner, Boon, to conduct an open-air sniff of the vehicle. K9 Boon gave a positive alert for the presence of narcotics, establishing probable cause for a search.
When informed of the K9 alert, Terrell admitted to officers that there might be a small amount of illegal substances under the seat. During the subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located:
- A glass smoking device containing residue, wrapped in a paper towel
- A large Ziploc bag containing eight smaller Ziploc bags filled with a white, crystal-like substance
- An unlabeled orange pill bottle
Terrell was placed in handcuffs and transported to the Lawrence County Jail by Officer Long. During the booking process at the jail, staff located additional suspected drugs on Terrell’s person. Officers also seized Terrell’s cell phone as evidence pending a search warrant.
At the station, Officer Flynn field-tested the crystal-like substance, which yielded a positive result for methamphetamine. The total weight of the seized methamphetamine—packaged across eight separate bags labeled with different amounts—was approximately 54 grams.
Terrell is facing charges of dealing meth, a Level 2 felony, and possession of meth, a Level 3 felony.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
