Traffic stop on alleged speeding vehicle leads to felony drug arrest
A traffic stop on an allegedly speeding vehicle led to the arrest of the driver on felony drug charges Thursday afternoon.
Dana Michelle Swims, 39, who lists an address of 105 Tall Oaks St., was taken into custody around 5:15 p.m. and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, punishable by up to six years, in addition to a ticket for speeding.
Swims, who was previously convicted of a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance in 2009, was later released on $7,500 bond and is set to appear Nov. 10 in Garland County District Court. According to the affidavit, around 5 p.m., Garland County sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Wharton was westbound on Mountain Pine Road behind a green 2013 Jeep Wrangler that turned left onto Blacksnake Road and continued at a high rate of speed.
Wharton followed the vehicle and after clocking its speed at 44 mph in a 35 mph zone, he made a traffic stop on it in the 1400 block of Blacksnake. He made contact with the driver, identified as Swims, and asked her several times if there was any contraband inside the vehicle, which she denied.
She allegedly gave him consent to search the vehicle, and he states he found a blue designer women’s wallet under the front passenger seat that contained two syringes, one “snorting straw,” two baggies with a combined weight of 0.5 grams of what later tested positive for meth, and a fishing license in her name.
He asked her if she knew where the bag came from, and she stated it was supposed to be at her house. When asked about the illegal items inside, she claimed they were not hers.
The victim’s husband, 51, was called to come get her vehicle and Wharton noted he overheard her tell him, “The cops pulled me over. They found my wallet” and “It had my stuff in it.”
She was taken into custody and the husband came and retrieved her vehicle, the affidavit states.