MITCHELL — A nighttime traffic stop on State Road 37 led to the arrest of a Heltonville man late Monday after police discovered methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia inside his vehicle.
Devrin J. Bell, 31, of Heltonville, was arrested on Sept. 14, 2026, by the Mitchell Police Department and remanded to the Lawrence County Jail. He faces preliminary charges of:
- Possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony
- Possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor
- Possession of marijuana, hash oil, hashish, or salvia, a Class B misdemeanor
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Mitchell Police Officer Phillip Emery, the incident began at approximately 9:31 p.m. when the officer observed a green Ford Ranger towing a trailer northbound on State Road 37 near the 3800 block.
Officer Emery noted that the sun had set and it was completely dark, yet the trailer had no functioning taillights or visible license plate. The officer initiated a traffic stop, and the vehicle pulled over just north of the intersection of State Road 37 and Doc Hamilton Boulevard.
As Officer Emery approached the passenger side of the truck to request driver information from Bell, he observed a clear glass smoking pipe and a green container holding a wax-like substance sitting on the passenger seat. Bell admitted to the officer that the wax-like substance was “dabs,” a marijuana concentrate.
Officer Emery instructed Bell to exit the vehicle, placed him in restraints, and conducted a pat-down search before placing him in the back of the patrol vehicle.
During a subsequent search of the Ford Ranger, officers located the glass smoking pipe and green container on the passenger seat, which emitted a strong odor of marijuana. A second clear glass smoking pipe was discovered in the center console, and a clear plastic bag containing a crystal-like substance was found inside a compartment on the front dashboard.
A Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the scene with a field test kit. A test of the crystal-like substance yielded a positive result for methamphetamine. Officer Emery read Bell his Miranda rights before transporting him to the Lawrence County Jail for processing.
The vehicle was impounded and towed from the scene by Jackson Heavy Haul.
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.
