An alert by a Hot Springs police K-9 following a routine traffic stop early Thursday resulted in the arrest of a local man on felony and misdemeanor drug charges.
Brian Keith Youngs, 35, who lists a Garland Avenue address, was taken into custody shortly before 12:30 a.m. and charged with a felony count of possession of a controlled substance, meth, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts, each punishable by up to one year in jail.
Youngs, who lists no prior felony history, was being held on a $7,500 bond after a court appearance Friday.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 12:10 a.m. Thursday, HSPD Officer 1st Class Shane Lewis saw a black Mazda 3 head south out of the parking lot of a motel in the 2200 block of Central Avenue and a computer check showed the license plate was expired.
He made a traffic stop on the vehicle at Central and Oaklawn Street and made contact with the driver and his male passenger, later identified as Youngs. A check on the driver showed he had a recent drug paraphernalia charge, so Lewis asked if the driver had anything on him or in the car and he reportedly "looked at Youngs" and then replied "no" and gave consent to search the car.
When Lewis went to the passenger side to have Youngs exit, he reportedly "appeared very nervous" and "very defensive," and he told Lewis he was not consenting to a search of him or his backpack.
Officer 1st Class Jonathan Smith and his K-9 partner, Kubo, arrived to assist and as Youngs exited the car with his backpack, Kubo conducted a "free air sniff" and reportedly alerted on both the driver and passenger side of the car.
A pat down search of Youngs was conducted and a pipe "known to be used for the ingestion of meth" was allegedly located. In searching the backpack, officers allegedly found a baggie of marijuana, 2 grams, and a metal marijuana pipe. In searching Youngs further, they allegedly found another baggie with 4 grams of what later tested positive for meth.
Once at the detention center, Youngs was read his rights and was willing to answer questions. Asked how long he had been using meth, he reportedly said, "not long." Lewis asked him if he bought the meth at the motel he was seen leaving earlier and he reportedly stated he bought it "a couple of nights ago from a friend" outside a grocery store on Malvern Avenue.