Vernon man arrested after traffic stop for drug and weapons possession

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – A Vernon man was arrested on weapons and drug charges following a traffic stop Saturday.

A Washington County officer initiated a traffic stop on Spoolmill Road in Vernon.

Officers said they identified the driver as 32-year-old Jesse Charles Piechowiak. During the stop, officers smelled the odor of narcotics coming from inside the vehicle.

A sniffer dog provided by the authority was deployed and gave a clear report that narcotics had come out of the vehicle, the officials wrote.

During a subsequent search of the vehicle, investigators said, they found a firearm, several smoking devices and a clear plastic bag containing a crystallized substance, which was later found to contain methamphetamine in an on-site test.

Piechowiak was arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.