Officers locate array of drugs in vehicle following traffic stop
A local man and woman were arrested Saturday evening after illegal drugs, assorted prescription medications and drug parapher- nalia were found in their vehicle following a traffic stop for seat belt violations.
Jeremy Alan McHenry, 39, who lists a Squire Court address, and Ashley Renee Tarlton, 33, who lists a Gobert Road address, were taken into custody near the intersection of Higdon Ferry Road and Mercy Lane just before 6 p.m. Saturday and charged with felony possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to 30 years in prison; felony possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to 20 years in prison; two counts felony possession of Adderall and Hydrocodone with purpose to deliver, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison; three counts of felony possession of tramadol, diazepam and alprazolam with purpose to deliver; felony possession of drug paraphernalia; and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
Bond was set at $33,000 each, and the two remained in custody Monday at the Garland County Detention Center. Tarlton is set to appear in Garland County District Court on Wednesday and McHenry appeared on Monday.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Hot Springs police Officer Robert Plyler conducted a traffic stop on a black Ford Ranger near the intersection of Higdon Ferry Road and Mercy Lane because Tarlton and McHenry were not wearing seat belts.
Plyler reportedly noted that Tarlton had a valid warrant out of Rockport and McHenry was an active parolee with a search waiver on file.
While searching the vehicle, officers discovered a child’s sippy cup hidden near the base of the gear shift containing two syringes, about 11 grams of suspected methamphetamine, less than a gram of marijuana, and an assortment of 18 different prescription medications, the affidavit said.
Both Tarlton and McHenry denied ownership of the narcotics and paraphernalia and insisted that they had no knowledge of the sippy cup being in the vehicle, it said.