A41-year-old Van man was arrested on a controlled substance charge, after methamphetamine was found in his possession during a FM 71 traffic stop, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jason Lavender reported the man first caught his attention when he failed to stop the GMC Sierra he was driving at the FM 71/State Highway 154 intersection May 27. So, Lavender initiated a traffic stop and contacted the driver, identified in arrest reports as Michael Thomas Ringgold.
When Ringgold refused the deputy’s request to search the truck, Lavender called for the on-call canine to conduct a free air sniff around the vehicle for contraband, the deputy noted in arrest reports. The trained police K-9 allegedly gave a positive alert on the truck, giving Lavender cause to search it.
Lavender alleged finding a glass pipe that appeared to have been used to smoke methamphetamine, with a small amount of suspected meth still in the bowl of the pipe during the search. Consequently, the 41-year-old Van man was arrested at 10:25 a.m. May 27 and jailed a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, according to arrest reports.
Ringgold was released from Hopkins County jail Thursday, May 28. Bond on the felony charge was set at $5,000, according to jail reports.
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The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
