NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, Texas – The first indication to an NCSO deputy that something wasn’t quite right during a traffic stop early Tuesday morning was when the driver handed over his credit card instead of his license. While not an offense by itself, the seemingly nervous behavior raised the suspicions of deputies, who
pulled over Devin Bernard Hamilton, 30, for speeding in a construction zone near the intersection of Durst Street and S.W. Stallings Drive around 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Hamilton, a Natchitoches, La. resident, was issued a warning for the traffic violation and had an expired vehicle registration. Deputies requested consent to search the vehicle, which was denied. An NCSO K-9 officer was called in, and the dog alerted to the scent of drugs. Deputies searched the car and located a box containing 12 bottles of promethazine cough syrup, at which point Bernard was taken into custody. A TCH vape and a small bag of marijuana were also discovered on the driver’s side floorboard and under the driver’s side seat. Eight vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana and 10 THC vapes were later discovered stashed behind one of the car’s quarter panels. In total, 8.4 lbs of marijuana was recovered during the stop.
Hamilton was charged with a second-degree felony for possession of a controlled substance, a third degree felony for possession of marijuana, and a Class-A misdemeanor for possession of a dangerous drug.
