Two men are now facing felony charges after drugs and firearms were found in car during traffic stop.

Deputies with the Bell County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday night were conducting a checkpoint on Highway 217 when a deputy noticed the driver of a car that was stopped wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

47-year-old Ronald Williams of Harlan County was the driver of the car and along with not wearing his seatbelt, he also was unable to provide a driver’s license or proof of Insurance to deputies.

Officials say the passenger of the vehicle, 66 years old James Gilbert of Harlan County, appeared to be hiding something on his side of the vehicle. Williams was asked by deputies to get out of the car so deputies can conduct a safety pat down.

Police K9, Chan, was on the scene with deputies and was deployed to search the exterior of the vehicle and alerted officers to the driver’s door. Police discovered a pistol between the center console and the driver’s seat and a rifle in the floorboard in the back. A small bag of what is speculated to be meth and a small bag of powder that police believe to be Fentanyl was also found in the car. Along with drugs and firearms, police found a syringe containing residue inside and a black bag containing nearly $28,000 in cash.

After running the names of the suspects, police found out that both men are convicted felon and the rifle was stolen.

Both Williams and Gilbert are charged with trafficking in a controlled substance, importing Carfentanil, Fentanyl or Fentanyl Derivatives, two counts of possession of a gun by a convicted felon, and buying/possession of drug paraphernalia.

Williams faces additional charges of receiving stolen property, operating a vehicle without a driver’s license or insurance and failure to wear a seatbelt. Williams and Gilbert were placed in the Bell County Detention Center.

 

Photo courtesy of Bell County Sheriff’s Department.