Marshall University Police Department assisted in cleaning up the streets of Huntington after a regular traffic stop for running a red light turned into arresting a man for possession and intent to distribute a controlled substance. The arrest back in August has resulted in the suspect being sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin.

Chief Jim Terry stated this successful arrest happened during any other regular day for Marshall Police.

“We do this stuff every day,” Terry said. “It’s not a new phenomenon that we did something good. I’ve been here for 30 years, and this is just what we do.”

In August 2017, an MUPD officer conducted a routine traffic stop after witnessing a driver not stopping for a red light on 5th Avenue. The 43-year-old driver and passenger in the car were pulled over and questioned. The two were asked if they had any weapons and if officers were allowed to search the vehicle.

Upon inspection, officers found a digital scale and 11.5 grams of a “brown, powdery substance” that was later discovered to be heroin. The men were arrested for possession and intent to distribute a controlled substance, as well as driving without a license or insurance and failing to adhere to a traffic signal.

After over eight months, the suspect has now pled guilty and been sentenced to five years in prison for possession and intent to distribute heroin.

MUPD works with other organizations when necessary to help keep the community safe. With each case involving controlled substances, the department will ask other agencies if they want to work on the case because the agencies expand further than MUPD does.

“A lot of cases we get, we will work with the Federal Task Force or the Huntington Drug Unit,” Terry said. “They spread out from (Marshall University) where we are central to here, usually, so we work with other agencies that have further reach than we do.”

Sarah Ingram can be contacted at [email protected].