On Dec. 12, deputies with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office assisted an N.C. Highway Patrol trooper during a traffic stop on Mill Road in Washington. The trooper and Deputy Brad Cumston seized marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a handgun from the vehicle. The operator of the vehicle, Kyle West Jr., age 41, of Horse Pen Swamp Road, was arrested for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A follow-up investigation by the sheriff’s office showed West had previous felony convictions in Florida. After receiving documentation from the Osceola County Clerk of Court in Florida confirming West was a convicted felon, Investigator Rob Voliva applied for and obtained a warrant charging West with possession of a firearm by a felon. On Dec. 22, West turned himself in at the Beaufort County Magistrate’s Office. He was brought before Magistrate Holmes and given a $5,000 unsecured bond. West was processed through the Beaufort County Detention Center and released.