A local man was arrested on multiple felony charges Sunday night after a routine traffic stop allegedly resulted in the discovery of drugs and paraphernalia.
Ryan Nathaniel Lax, 39, who lists a Carson Street address, was taken into custody around 7 p.m. and charged with possession of cocaine with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, possession of a controlled substance, Klonopin, with purpose to deliver, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana with purpose to deliver.
Lax was being held on bonds totaling $14,500 and was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday, Hot Springs police Cpl. Kenny May made a traffic stop on a multicolored pickup truck on Fifth Street after noting one of its brake lights was out.
He made contact with the driver, identified as Lax, and a male passenger and had them exit the vehicle. In plain view, he allegedly saw a digital scale and smelled the odor of burning marijuana. When asked, Lax reportedly admitted to smoking marijuana earlier that day and consented to May searching the vehicle.
In plain view, May allegedly located a glass pipe with residue and a butane torch so he took Lax into custody. During a pat-down search of Lax, the officer reportedly found a plastic wrapper with three pills Lax admitted were Klonopin, two baggies, one containing 3.6 grams of what later tested positive for marijuana and the other containing 2.8 grams of what later tested positive for crack cocaine. Lax also had $314 in cash on his person.
Agents with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force were notified and responded to the detention center and took over the investigation, seizing the drugs and money.
Local on 03/27/2018