A Ruston man faces drug and obstruction charges after a state trooper reported watching him throw a bag of marijuana from his vehicle during a Saturday morning traffic stop, according to an arrest affidavit.
Rodriquez J. Brantley, 46, of Ruston, was arrested at 9:46 a.m. July 25 by the Louisiana State Police.
A state trooper reported that he saw a blue Toyota Camry pull out of a private parking lot and travel north in the southbound lane of South Farmerville Street at Line Avenue in Lincoln Parish. The trooper activated his emergency lights and the driver pulled into 608 South Farmerville Street.
The driver stepped out of the vehicle, threw a clear plastic bag to his right and began to walk away. The trooper instructed him to stop and stand at the rear of the vehicle.
Investigators determined the driver’s license was under suspension at the time of the stop. After being advised of his rights, Brantley denied throwing anything from the vehicle but said he had approximately 9 grams of marijuana in his right cargo shorts pocket.
Brantley placed the marijuana on the rear of the vehicle and was handcuffed. The trooper searched the area where the bag was thrown and found the clear plastic bag in a red flower pot on the left side of the vehicle. Brantley initially denied knowing what was in the bag, but later he said it held approximately three rocks of crack cocaine.
He was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center on counts of improper lane use, driving under suspension, possession of a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance, possession of a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance and obstruction of justice.
Later that day, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office booked Brantley at the detention center on two outstanding bench warrants — a Lincoln Parish warrant for failure to appear on child support and a Ruston City warrant for failure to appear on simple possession of marijuana. He was advised of his rights and turned over to detention center corrections deputies.
Bond was set at $5,000 on the Ruston City warrant. No bond was listed on the child support warrant. Bond on two of the counts from the traffic stop was listed as to be set.
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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