By Joe Johnson
A convicted felon from Athens was arrested early Monday after a police officer opened the hood of the suspect’s pickup truck and found a loaded gun, methamphetamine and other contraband, Athens-Clarke County police said.
An officer was on patrol shortly after 2 a.m. when he saw a pickup crossing the double yellow center lines on Whit Davis Road.
During a traffic stop, the officer noticed that the driver, 46-year-old Jeffrey David Arnold of Jefferson Road, had slurred speech and avoided making contact, according to police.
There was no indication that the man had been drinking, but another officer who arrived to assist saw a plastic bag containing what appeared to be crystal meth in the truck’s passenger compartment, according to police.
A gun holster, digital scale and a rail-mount light for a firearm were found in the center console.
An identity check on Arnold revealed that he was a convicted felon, police said.
A heavy metal box behind the driver’s seat contained gold, gems and jewelry which Arnold explained he worked with, according to police.
Upon opening the truck’s hood to inspect the engine compartment, police said they found a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol and a box that were wrapped in foam and duct tape. The box contained several more bags of meth, another digital scale, an oxycodone pill and a glass smoking pipe, police said.
Arnold was charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of certain crimes, possession of drug-related objects and failure to maintain lane, police said.