Tuesday Morning Traffic Stop Lands Three in Jail

Illegal Drugs, Weapons Found during Search

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT – An early morning traffic stop by the Crockett Police Department resulted in the arrest of three individuals on a variety of drug and weapons charges.

Twenty-six year-old Rondarius Smith, from Lukin, was charged with: failure to identify or giving false or fictious information; possession of a controlled substance – penalty group one – less than one gram; theft of a firearm; possession of a controlled substance – penalty group one – greater than or equal to four grams but less than 200 grams; and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

Lufkin resident Derek Williams, 30, was charged with: unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; theft of a firearm; and possession of a controlled substance – penalty group one – greater than or equal to four grams but less than 200 grams. Williams also had a warrant out for his arrest from Nacogdoches County for theft.

Also from Lufkin, 23-year-old Tori Wise was arrested and charged with:  Possession of marijuana, less than two ounces; possession of a controlled substance – penalty group one – greater than or equal to four grams but less than 200 grams; theft of a firearm; and unlawfully carrying a weapon.

According to a Crockett Police Lt. Clayton Smith, officers with Crockett PD were on patrol early Tuesday morning when they conducted a traffic stop on a 2008 Toyota Avalon “… for multiple traffic offenses.”

The stop was initiated at 1:27 a.m. in the 1300 block of Goliad where officers “… determined that the vehicle was occupied with two males and one female. Officers asked the driver to exit the vehicle and move to the rear of the car for safety reasons,” Smith stated.

As the officers were speaking with the driver (Rondarius Smith) of the vehicle, the driver admitted to having a small amount of marijuana inside the vehicle. Lt. Smith stated the two passengers were then removed from the vehicle.

“During a probable cause search of the vehicle, officers located a stolen 9mm Handgun that had been reported stolen out of (the) Dallas Police Department and believed to have been used in an armed robbery in that same area. Officers also located a clear plastic bag containing a white powdery substance which later tested positive for cocaine (13.3 Grams- approximately),” the police lieutenant indicated.

“Rondarius Smith was found to be in possession of a Smith and Wesson .380 Bodyguard with a loaded magazine and approximately 8.6 Grams of crack cocaine. The handgun that Smith was in possession of was also determined to be stolen out of Cherokee County,” he added.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].