Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mike Haley said that a patrol deputy recently arrested a Bogalusa man for drug charges after his vehicle was stopped for a speeding violation.

Haley said that late in the evening of May 25, Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Patrol Deputy Justin Blackwell was patrolling on Highway 21 south of Bogalusa when he encountered a vehicle traveling north at a high rate of speed.

Haley said that Blackwell intercepted and stopped the vehicle near the Bogalusa city limits, at which time he detected a strong odor of marijuana from inside the vehicle and observed what appeared to be marijuana inside the vehicle.

A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a brown paper bag containing marijuana and a search of the driver revealed additional packaged marijuana in his pocket, Haley said. Digital scales and a marijuana grinder were later discovered inside the vehicle.

The driver, Jewell Plummer, 42, a resident of Hickory Avenue in Bogalusa, was arrested and transported to the Washington Parish Jail. He was booked into the jail charged with speeding, possession with intent to distribute Schedule I drugs, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond was set at $10,000. Plummer met the conditions of his bond and was released on May 26, Haley said.

“Driving 75 in a posted 55 mph zone is never good,” Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal said. “Deputy Blackwell did a great job in stopping the driver and then discovering drugs and drug paraphernalia. The almost 14 grams of marijuana were likely headed for the streets of Bogalusa.

“Thanks, Deputy Blackwell, for taking those drugs out of our community.”