A Ruston man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after a traffic stop on South Maple Street led to the discovery of suspected marijuana in his vehicle.
Dmitry Payne, 23, of Ruston, was arrested at 1:15 p.m. Nov. 4 by the Ruston Police Department at West Barnett Springs Avenue and South Maple Street.
According to an arrest affidavit, a lieutenant saw a gray Toyota Camry that appeared to be speeding at about 1 p.m. His in-car radar measured the vehicle at 47 mph in a 25 mph zone, and he stopped it at the intersection.
Payne got out of the vehicle, trying to keep the door closed behind him. The lieutenant detected an odor of marijuana coming from Payne, who was extremely nervous, shaking and stumbling over his words.
When Payne opened the door to get his insurance information, the lieutenant detected a very strong odor of raw marijuana coming from the vehicle. He waited for a second unit to arrive.
Payne was advised of his rights and said he understood them. When asked how much marijuana was in the vehicle, he said 13 or 14 grams.
During a search, an officer found a glass mason jar behind the front passenger seat. It held six individually packaged baggies of suspected marijuana with a combined weight of 37.1 grams.
Payne was taken to the Lincoln Parish Narcotics Enforcement Team office, where he spoke with a lieutenant, and then to Lincoln Parish Detention Center. He was booked on a charge of possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I drug.
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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