The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested a West Monroe man on a traffic stop Wednesday after it was learned he was wanted in a 2021 case.
Patrol deputies stopped Ryan Michael Whittington, 42, after seeing a traffic infraction just after midnight Wednesday morning. Deputies discovered Whittington had an active warrant for his arrest, stemming from a complaint received by UPSO in 2021.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Whittington agreed to complete a home improvement project for a Downsville resident. The victim used a mobile payment service to send Whittington two payments totaling more than $900. Whittington allegedly failed to perform the work he and the victim agreed upon. The victim contacted Whittington to inquire why the work had not been performed and Whittington told the victim he tried to get the funds transferred to a card at his materials supplier but was unable to do so.
UPSO investigators contacted the supplier and were informed they did indeed put the money onto a card for Whittington to purchase materials. When Whittington was confronted about this, he informed the victim he would pay the money back in a few days. Whittington was given 45 days to repay the money and he failed to do so. A warrant was obtained from Third District Court for his arrest.
When Whittington was arrested Wednesday on the warrant, a large amount of suspected methamphetamine was located in his vehicle along with a glass pipe and two sets of scales.
Whittington was booked into the Union Parish Detention Center for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, and home improvement fraud.
Bail was set at $7,500.00.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
