Traffic stop leads to multiple felony charges after convicted felon found with gun, drugs
A routine traffic stop resulted in the arrest of a local man on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges early Sunday after drugs and a gun were allegedly found in his possession.
Michael Dylan Cullinan, 25, who lists a Twinkle Star Lane address, was taken into custody around 2 a.m. and charged with felony counts of simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, punishable by up to life in prison, possession of a firearm by certain persons, and possession of a controlled substance, punishable by up to six years, and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.
Cullinan, who was also cited for making an improper lane change, was initially being held on zero bond but appeared via video Monday in Garland County District Court where he pleaded not guilty to all the charges and Judge Joe Graham set his bond at $10,000. A felony review hearing is set for July 15.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 2 a.m., Garland County sheriff’s Deputy Matt Cogburn saw a white Chevrolet Tahoe cross the centerline multiple times while eastbound in the 1400 block of Airport Road and stopped it at Airport and Lakeshore Drive.
He made contact with the driver, identified as Cullinan, and explained why he stopped him. Cullinan told him the road was wet and his truck had “very large” tires causing him to cross the centerline. A computer check showed he had a warrant for failure to comply so he was taken into custody.
Cullinan was “very cooperative,” Cogburn states, and noted he was on parole, but had completed all his parole requirements. After he was placed in Cogburn’s unit, Sgt. Jeremy Simpson, who had arrived to assist, spotted a Ruger 22/45 handgun under the center console area of the Tahoe.
It was confirmed Cullinan was a convicted felon, so the vehicle was searched further. Simpson allegedly found a pill bottle without a label in the center console that contained six suboxone tablets, five Xanax bars and two diazepam pills. Under a baseball cap in the front floorboard he also found a glass jar with 16.1 grams of marijuana.
A backpack in the back seat was reportedly found to contain a glass pipe, set of digital scales and four syringes.