BEDFORD — A Springville man was arrested Friday night, October 23, 2026, after a traffic stop in Bedford led to a K-9 sweep and the discovery of methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.
Ryan Sheeley, 48, of Springville, faces preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a narcotic, possession of paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Officer Sarah Haluda of the Bedford Police Department, the incident began at approximately 9:10 p.m. on Oct. 23. Officer Haluda observed a dark-colored Chevrolet SUV traveling west on 16th Street from R Street with only its fog lights illuminated, tailgating another vehicle.
Upon running the license plate, dispatch returned a registration for a 2019 Kia SUV rather than the Chevrolet being driven. Officer Haluda initiated a traffic stop near 16th Street and Hillcrest Road, with the vehicle coming to a rest in a Sunoco gas station parking lot.
The driver, identified as Sheeley, immediately told the officer he knew why he was being pulled over. Sheeley admitted that the headlights were non-functional and that the license plate belonged to his girlfriend’s Kia, noting it was fictitious. Sheeley appeared visibly nervous and avoided direct answers when questioned about illegal substances, quickly changing the subject.
K-9 Alert and Suspect Admission
Officer Kuhlman of the Mitchell Police Department arrived on the scene with his K-9 partner, Vader, to conduct a free air sniff around the vehicle. The sweep resulted in a primary alert for the presence of narcotics.
Confronted with the K-9 alert, Sheeley went quiet and admitted to officers that they would find a glass pipe in the driver’s side door pocket that he had used the previous day to ingest methamphetamine.
A probable cause search of the vehicle uncovered:
- A glass smoking device with residue in the driver’s door pocket.
- A small plastic baggie containing a crystal-like substance in the center console on top of a torch lighter.
- A wooden container with a plant-like substance.
- A lockbox containing a plastic baggie filled with marijuana nuggets and an additional glass smoking device with residue.
- A plastic grinder and multiple other glass smoking devices.
Field tests on the crystal-like substance yielded positive results for both methamphetamine and fentanyl, while the plant material tested positive for marijuana.
Sheeley’s juvenile son, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was able to contact a relative and was picked up from the scene. The vehicle was impounded by Stone City Collision.
Sheeley was transported to the Bedford Police Department, where he agreed to perform standard field sobriety tests. While no substantial signs of impairment were observed during the tests, Sheeley was subsequently transported and booked into the Lawrence County Jail.
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.
