Drug charges result from Monday night traffic stop

Department reports show that the officer initiated the stop when a driver failed to use a turn signal when turning from Weakley Creek Road onto Poplar Drive. He reports that when he approached driver Aaron Joseph Martin, 18, of 412 Morris Street, he detected the odor of marijuana.

The officer noted that upon his approach the back seat passenger, Brian Chance Wilburn, 19, of 311 North Church Street, Ethridge, was “making unusual movements as if to try to conceal possibly a weapon.”

During the ensuing search, the officer reports that he found a set of digital scales bearing marijuana residue and three packs of cigarillos. He said that he noticed a bulge in the area of Wilburn’s waistband and discovered that he was concealing two bags containing a total of 1.6 ounces of marijuana.

Both men confessed that they had smoked marijuana prior to the stop. Neither, however, claimed ownership of the marijuana. Both said that it belonged to the other. Eventually, Wilburn told the officer that the marijuana belonged to Martin “and they were on their way to drop it off.”

Both Martin and Wilburn were arrested on charges of possession of marijuana for the purpose of resale and possession of drug paraphernalia and were transported to the Lawrence County Detention Center for booking. Martin was held under a bond of $11,000. Wilburn’s bond was set at $21,000.

Both men are scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court on September 2, 2016.