Traffic violations prompt drug arrest
A Monroe man was arrested in Ruston early Sunday morning on numerous drug and traffic charges.
The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested Arquist Daronen Edwards, II, 23, after he was stopped for traffic violations, and marijuana and a handgun were found in the vehicle.
At about 2:45 a.m. on December 29, a deputy saw a Dodge Ram truck on W. California Avenue with a loud exhaust and an expired Texas license plate. The truck was stopped on Tech Drive and Edwards found to be the driver.
Edwards said there was a firearm in the vehicle and if the deputy could smell “weed” coming from the vehicle, it was because there were marijuana remnants in the ashtray.
In a search, deputies retrieved a Glock 29 pistol and a bag of marijuana weighing approximately 21 grams. Also located were digital scales with marijuana residue and rolling papers.
A records check showed Edwards’s drivers license was suspended and he had a previous conviction for possession of marijuana.
Edward was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for second offense possession of marijuana, illegal possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension, and failure to secure vehicle registration.
Bail for Edwards was set at $75,000.
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.
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