2 Men Jailed On Controlled Substance-Related Warrants
Two Greenville women were jailed Thursday after heroin and methamphetamine were found during a traffic stop in Sulphur Springs Thursday evening. Two men were also booked into Hopkins County jail over the past couple of days on controlled substance related warrants.
Houston Street Traffic Stop
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Drew Fisher and Sgt. Tanner Steward reported stopping a Ford Fusion at 7:03 p.m. June 30, 2022, on Houston Street at Jackson Street for a moving violation.
The passenger, identified in arrest reports as Amelia Dianne O’Brien, was noticeably nervous during deputy’s interaction with the two women. When deputies asked the driver, identified in reports as Jessica Christine McLaughlin, for permission to search the car, she began stuttering. McLaughlin told the deputies she had gotten an Advil bottle from her friend, but claimed she didn’t know what was in it, Fisher alleged in arrest reports. She claimed there was a scale in the vehicle too, but it was used for jewelry. McLaughlin did, however, give deputies permission to search the car.
Fisher and Steward reported finding an open pill bottle in the passenger’s side floorboard. When deputies asked O’Brien to shake out her blouse. When she did, a bag containing what deputies identified as black tar heroin fell out and onto the ground. O’Brien also is alleged to have a bag containing suspected meth clenched in her hand. A scale with suspected meth residue was also located in the car, Fisher and Steward alleged in arrest reports.
Both O’Brien, who is alleged to have had contraband on her, and McLaughlin, who allegedly receiving the substances just prior to being stopped, were taken into custody at 7:14 p.m. June 30, 2022, and transported to Hopkins County jail. The contraband was seized as evidence and taken to the sheriff’s office to be weighed, according to arrest reports. The suspected black tar heroin weighed 0.381 gram and the suspected meth weighed 0.845 gram.
Both 36-year-old McLaughlin and 39-year-old O’Brien were charged on two counts of possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1/1-B controlled substance. O’Brien was released from Hopkins County jail Friday, July 1, 2022, on a $10,000 bond — $5,000 per felony controlled substance charge, while McLaughlin remained in jail in lieu of the $10,000 bond for the charges, according to jail reports.
Warrant Arrests
HCSO Sgt. Todd Evans took Brandon Pehl into custody at 1:10 p.m. June 30, 2022, in the District Court and escorted him to Hopkins County jail.
The 38-year-old Sulphur Springs man was booked in at 1:30 p.m. on the warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, according to jail reports.
Pehl was held in Hopkins County jail Friday, July 1, 2022, without bond on the Jan. 4, 2019 charge, according to jail reports.
HCSO Deputy Steve Huffman took Mark Alan Tutton into custody at 10:22 a.m. June 29, 2022, at Holiday Unit in Huntsville and transported the 42-year-old Grandbury man to Hopkins County jail.
Tutton was booked in at 3:12 p.m. June 29, 2022, for bond forfeiture on an April 2, 2019 possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports.
He remained in Hopkins County jail Friday, July 1, 2022, in lieu of the new $20,000 bond set on the controlled substance charge, which is twice the original bond set on it, according to jail reports.
