A wanted out of Virginia was arrested after a deputy found marijuana in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
A deputy spotted 45-year-old Willie James Shelton driving a white 2014 Dodge pickup truck south on U.S. Hwy. 441 at NE 138th Lan around 1 a.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. As the vehicle passed, he saw it did not have any tag lights illuminating the license plate.
The deputy subsequently stopped the vehicle and ran Shelton’s driver’s license through a law enforcement database. This revealed he had an active warrant out of Virginia from the U.S. Federal Marshal’s for dangerous drugs. He was then arrested and searched, the report said.
In the vehicle, the deputy found several burnt marijuana cigarettes in the cup holder. There was a small, fingernail-sized fresh bud of marijuana in the side door, for a total well under 20 grams, the report said.
Shelton was charged with possession of marijuana (less than 20 grams) and out-of-state fugitive. He was transported to the Sumter County Detention Center to be held without bond.