BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

LOVELY — A Pilgrim man found himself in cuffs late Saturday night after being stopped at a traffic checkpoint near Kermit Bridge in Lovely.

According to police, Deputy Justin Bellamy arrested Frankie L. Maynard, 48, for first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and possession of drug paraphernalia around 11 p.m.

Maynard, riding as a passenger in a vehicle driven by Brandon Parsons, drew officers’ attention when both men reportedly appeared anxious. Parsons, who did not have his driver’s license on him, consented to a vehicle search, and both men agreed to personal searches.

That is when things took a turn for Maynard. Police say they found a plastic bag of white powder suspected to be meth in his shoe, along with another bag with residue, eight syringes in his sock, and toot straws in his pocket.

Maynard claimed the stash was not his, insisting the driver gave him the drugs as they neared the checkpoint. Parsons, for his part, denied the accusation.