HAMBLEN TWP. — A Brown County man faces a felony and two misdemeanors after he was stopped for an obstructed license plate on Jan. 10.
Just before 1 a.m. Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Colton Magner was conducting a property check at the Gatesville Store on Salt Creek Road when he noticed a tan pickup truck turn onto Gatesville Road from Salt Creek Road, his report says.
Magner believed the truck was being driven by Ronny Wagers, 41, of Petro Road, and that Wagers had a suspended license.
Wagers turned on Sweetwater Trail and began to accelerate as Magner began to follow him. Magner reported that he had trouble catching up to the truck. When he did catch up near Hicks Road, he noticed that the truck’s license plate was obstructed by a hitch ball and he was only able to read part of the plate number.
Magner stopped the truck in the 7400 block of Sweetwater Trail. Wagers told him he did not have a driver’s license and verbally identified himself, according to the affidavit.
Dispatch reported that Wagers had a suspended license and that he had an active warrant out of Johnson County. He was placed under arrest.
While searching Wagers, Magner reported finding a plastic baggie corner that he believed to be consistent with packaging drugs. Wagers said he picked it up from a relative’s driveway on Salt Creek Road.
He was taken to the Brown County jail. In the truck, officers reported finding a digital scale and a glass-like pipe used for drugs. Wagers said he had the glass pipe because he was fixing it for a friend.
A white crystalline substance field-tested positive for methamphetamine. It was unclear in the affidavit where the substance was found. The digital scale also appeared to have similar residue, the affidavit states.
On Jan. 10, Wagers was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony; driving while suspended, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor. The paraphernalia charge was elevated to a Class A misdemeanor because Wagers was previously convicted of possessing paraphernalia in 2013.
