A Tuesday morning driver headed south on State Road 57 south of Worthington was stopped for speeding north of the Lighthouse Junction by a state trooper who reported finding marijuana and paraphernalia in the vehicle.

Gabriel Tyree Cox, 22, Birmingham, Alabama, was arrested by Indiana State Police Trooper Richard Klun on Tuesday morning, October 26.

Trooper Klun was headed south on State Road 57 approaching County Road 200 North (a location which is north of the Lighthouse Junction of SR 57 and SR 54), when he noticed a vehicle coming up from behind at what appeared to be a high rate of speed. Rear-facing radar showed the vehicle was going 72 mph but as it got closer, its speed was 78 mph. Trooper Klun pulled off to the side of the road then as the vehicle passed by, he hit the emergency lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop.

Cox was the driver who had an Alabama driver’s license. Cox questioned the reason for the stop and allegedly argued about the trooper’s ability to verify his speed. During the stop, Trooper Klun asked about the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and Cox said his car always smells like that because the odor is trapped in the cloth of his car seat and it had been weeks since there was any marijuana in the vehicle. Cox argued again when asked to exit the vehicle but after the second request, he complied.

Worthington Town Marshal Jim O’Malley arrived on the scene to assist, followed by ISP Trooper John Yung.

Trooper Klun reported that during a search of Cox’s vehicle, he located a black digital scale with plant residue on it, a multi-colored grinder with plant material in it, a silver and gold with a diamond smoking device with burnt plant material and a metal tray with the depiction of Sponge Bob that also had plant residue on it. When one of these items was field-tested on the scene, it was positive for the presence of marijuana.

Cox was transported and booked into the Greene County Jail at 9:38 a.m. He has since posted a surety bond and been released from custody.

Cox is facing charges of:

• Possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, and

• Possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

He is scheduled to appear in Greene Superior Court for his initial hearing on Monday, November 1.