A traffic stop in Limestone County led to multiple felony drug trafficking charges and the seizure of significant quantities of illegal narcotics, according to the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said Sgt. Cary Moore and Deputy AJ Davis conducted a traffic stop on Thursday, January 29, on Huntsville-Brownsferry Road near Ripley Road. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as a 47-year-old Athens man.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies developed probable cause to search the vehicle during the stop. The search resulted in the seizure of nearly a quarter pound of cocaine and approximately seven ounces of MDMA pills. Deputies also determined the suspect is a convicted felon and was in possession of a firearm.
The man was taken into custody and charged with two counts of drug trafficking and one count of being a certain person forbidden to possess a firearm.
Officials said he was already out on bond at the time of the stop for prior charges, including drug trafficking, certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
He is currently being held in the Limestone County Detention Facility on a $1.5 million bond for the new charges. A bond revocation has also been issued on the prior cases, for which no bond is allowed.
Limestone County Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin praised the deputies’ actions in a public statement:
“This arrest reflects the proactive enforcement efforts and exceptional work of our deputies. Because of the diligence of Sgt. Moore and Deputy Davis, a significant quantity of dangerous drugs has been removed from our streets before it could impact our neighborhoods. We will continue to pursue drug traffickers with determination and remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the citizens of Limestone County.”
Law enforcement officials generally consider quantities at this level to be distribution-scale. Based on standard enforcement benchmarks, a quarter pound of cocaine and multiple ounces of MDMA can translate into hundreds of individual doses, depending on packaging and dilution, indicating potential for wide community distribution.
