What started as a run-of-the-mill speeding stop on I-75 in Groveland Township on Monday quickly escalated into a serious bust when Michigan State Police troopers uncovered a loaded handgun, a sizable stash of meth, and a grab bag of other suspected contraband inside the vehicle.
By the end of the stop, a 42-year-old Warren man riding in the passenger seat was headed to the Oakland County Jail. The 46-year-old driver from Howell was taken to a hospital for treatment, and prosecutors are now sorting through the evidence.
From Speeding Ticket To Full-Blown Search
Troopers from the MSP Second District pulled the car over for speeding on I-75, then searched the vehicle. During that search, they found a loaded 9 mm pistol hidden under the center console, according to ClickOnDetroit.
The haul did not stop with the gun. Troopers also seized roughly 79 grams of individually packaged methamphetamine and another 22 grams in bulk form, along with marijuana, scales, two containers of unlabeled pills, multiple weapons described as dangerous stabbing instruments, four vials holding an unknown substance, and a container of ammunition, ClickOnDetroit reports.
Passenger Jailed, Driver Hospitalized
According to the police report, the passenger was lodged in the Oakland County Jail while the driver was transported to a hospital for medical treatment. Authorities have not released details about the driver’s condition.
As of the latest update, formal charges had not yet been announced. “The case remains under investigation pending review by the prosecutor’s office,” ClickOnDetroit notes.
What The Law Says About Guns And Felons
Police say the passenger is a convicted felon who is currently on parole, which could significantly raise the stakes if charges are filed.
Under Michigan law, a person convicted of a felony is generally barred from possessing a firearm, and felony-firearm provisions can add mandatory prison time when a gun is possessed in connection with another offense. Those rules are laid out in state criminal statutes, including sections such as MCL 750.224f and MCL 750.227b, in the compiled laws published by the Michigan Legislature.
For now, prosecutors will review the full set of reports and seized items before deciding what charges, if any, to pursue against those involved in the I-75 stop.
