Traffic stop results in arrest of parolee on drug charges
A parolee with a lengthy criminal history was arrested on felony drug charges early Saturday after a routine traffic stop by a Garland County sheriff ’s deputy.
Joshua Paul Hanke, 39, who lists a Belvedere Drive address, was taken into custody shortly after 1 a.m. and charged with possession of a controlled substance, meth, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years.
Hanke, who was also cited for having expired tags and no insurance, was later released on a $6,000 bond and is set to appear May 3 in Garland County District Court.
According to court records, Hanke was convicted in 2007 of second-degree terroristic threatening and sentenced to one year of probation, and in 2010 of second-degree sexual assault and kidnapping and sentenced to 20 years in prison with 15 years suspended, all in Saline County; in 2020 in Drew County on drug charges and for possession of a firearm by certain persons and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but later paroled; and on Nov. 16, 2023, in Garland County for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements and sentenced to seven years’ supervised probation
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 1 a.m., GCSO Deputy Eduardo Grajeda made a traffic stop on a 2001 GMC Yukon at Little Bit Trail and Blacksnake Road after a computer check showed the vehicle had unconfirmed insurance and the registration was expired.
He made contact with the driver, identified as Hanke, and noted he was on parole with a search waiver on file. In searching the vehicle, Grajeda allegedly found two black cases underneath the radio compartment.
Inside one case, there were reportedly two plastic containers, one with 1.3 grams of what later tested positive for meth and the second with “an unreadable amount” of suspected meth.
Inside the second case, the deputy allegedly found a plastic baggie with 3.7 grams of what later tested positive for meth, a glass pipe and scales, both with white residue.
Once at the jail, Hanke was read his rights and reportedly confirmed the substances found were meth and he was charged with having “more than 2 grams but less than 10 grams.”