Ludowici police officers conducting a routine traffic stop this weekend found a large amount of drugs and expensive property believed to have been stolen from Wayne County, Chief Robert Poppell said.
Just after 3 a.m. Saturday, Officer Shae Pruitt and Sgt. Phillip Bohannon stopped a gray BMW 530i for making an improper lane change. The vehicle pulled into a yard near the intersection of North Macon and Mitchum streets, Poppell said.
The car was driven by its owner Edward May, 41, of Jesup, the chief said. Upon investigation, the officers discovered a large amount of drugs, drug paraphernalia and suspected stolen property from Wayne County, including a Louis Vuitton designer handbag, Poppell said.
In all, more than 30 bags of evidence were collected. Drugs confiscated included marijuana, prescription pills, cocaine and methamphetamine. Suspected stolen property included a flat-screen TV, DVD player, security safe, the Louis Vuitton bag and several victims’ driver’s licenses and credit cards from burglaries in Wayne County, Poppell said.
Among those arrested were:
• May, charged with improper lane change, driving while license suspended and possession of a drug-related object;
• Jodi DeLoach Combs, 43, of Ludowici, charged with possession of a drug-related object;
• Robert Ryals, 26, of St. Simons Island, charged with possession of a drug-related object, possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a schedule IV drug; and
• Deanna DeLoach Parker, 31, of Ludowici, charged with possession of cocaine, possession of a drug-related object and unlawful possession of contraband behind a guard line.
All suspects are currently incarcerated awaiting a first appearance hearing. Combs also has pending felony warrants in Wayne County, and authorities there placed a hold on her for those charges. Other charges also are pending the outcome of processing the suspected stolen property.
“I would like to commend the hard work of my officers for a job well-done,” Poppell said. “The streets are at least a little safer now that these individuals are in lock-up and these drugs are no longer out there.”