N ews
Five arrests from weekend traffic stops
Weekend traffic patrol led to multiple arrests in separate investigations, according to Labette Sheriff Darren Eichinger.
The first investigation started at 7:30 p.m. Friday with a traffic stop in Chetopa by Deputy Connor Eichinger. While on patrol, the deputy observed a Honda HR-V westbound on Maple Street at 50 mph in a 25mph zone. Deputy Eichinger initiated a traffic stop, and the driver identified himself as Desmond Wood from New York. During the stop, Deputy Bryan Siu conducted a K-9 “open air sniff” around Wood’s vehicle. K-9 Benny indicated a positive response for narcotics. Following this, officers searched Wood’s vehicle and found 17 fake IDs featuring Wood’s photograph, $8,085 in cash and 10 U.S. Treasury checks made out to each of the fake identities. Wood had already cashed five of these checks in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area totaling $8,166. At the conclusion of the traffic stop, deputies field tested the cash for traces of drugs and had a positive result for the presence of methamphetamine, Sheriff Eichinger reported.
Deputies arrested Wood on suspicion of 38 felony charges, including counterfeiting currency, identity theft, forgery and interference with a law enforcement officer. Wood is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The second stop happened at 12:21 a.m. Sunday at Heacock and Grand in Parsons for a defective
See ARRESTS, Page 3.
headlight. Deputy Siu conducted this traffic stop assisted by Deputy Eichinger.
While Deputy Eichinger was completing the citation, Siu walked K-9 Benny around Austin Pollard’s vehicle to perform an open-air sniff. K-9 Benny gave a positive indication for narcotics inside the pickup truck. Siu informed Pollard of this and requested permission to search him. During the search of Austin Pollard, the deputies discovered a white bag containing suspected methamphetamine and digital scales in his pocket. They also found several firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun, inside Pollard’s vehicle.
When the serial numbers of the guns were checked, Labette County 911 dispatch informed Siu that one of the handguns, a Kimber, had been reported stolen. Deputies also located a suspected mobile meth lab in the bed of Pollard’s pickup. After the traffic stop, Parsons Police Sgt. Christian Smith assisted the deputies by conducting a probation search of Pollard’s residence.
During this search, multiple firearms were found along with marijuana, methamphetamine and paraphernalia. Officers and deputies arrested Pollard, Alexander Houghton, Jordan Titmus and Cienna Best on suspicion of possession of meth, manufacturing meth, possession of stolen weapons and child endangerment, according to a sheriff’s office release.
Best and Houghton have bonded out of the county jail.
