John Willoughby
reporter2@greenepublishing.com
Two local Madison men were put behind bars on Thursday, June 11, after neither claimed a small plastic baggie which contained methamphetamine.
Around 1:44 a.m., Madison Police Department's Cpl. Robert Sanders initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of SW Mosely Street and SW Jordan Avenue on a Honda Accord after observing one of the vehicle's brake lights was producing a white light. Contact was made with the driver, 20-year-old Roshaun Martinez Tompkins-Wenum, who was informed of the equipment violation. Upon request of a valid driver's license, Tompkins-Wenum stated that he did not have one, "nor had he ever had one," according to the report.
While speaking with the occupants of the vehicle, Cpl. Sanders noticed the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. The occupants were asked if medical marijuana or CBD products were used in the vehicle to which the occupants declined.
All three occupants were removed from the vehicle and detained while a probable cause search was conducted. During the investigation, a small clear plastic baggie, containing a crystalline white powder consistent with methamphetamine, was discovered in the front inner ledge of the vehicle's sunroof. Following this discovery, Tompkins-Wenum was read his Miranda Rights and agreed to speak with Cpl. Sanders regarding the incident. It is reported that Tompkins-Wenum stated he did not own the baggie nor did he know it was in the vehicle. The front passenger, 20-year-old Patrick O'Neal Hampton, was also read his Miranda Rights, also denying that he owned the baggie and denying knowledge that the baggie was in the vehicle.
Because neither Tompkins-Wenum nor Hampton claimed ownership of the suspected methamphetamine which was reportedly in close proximity to both occupants' seated locations, they were both advised they were under arrest for possession of methamphetamine, which was later weighed at 0.5 grams and tested positive. Tompkins-Wenum was also arrested on operating a vehicle without a license, as well as a local warrant for failure to appear.
Tompkins-Wenum and Hampton were separately transported to the Madison County Jail without further incident.