A Sparta man has found himself in major trouble after a routine traffic stop revealed a potentially dangerous situation.
DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray told the Smithville Review that 40-year-old Shane Gray of Gene’s Road, Sparta, was arrested on Tuesday, January 4, after a deputy pulled over a 2002 Audi A5 with a headlight out.
According to Sheriff Ray, the deputy was patrolling on Sparta Highway (Highway 70 East), when he observed the car traveling with a head light out. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, who was found to be Gray.
After checking the man’s driver license for validation, DeKalb Central Dispatch advised the deputy to use caution with the suspect due to him being wanted out of Warren County for reckless endangerment and evading arrest. The deputy was placed Gray under arrest, and Gray then advised that he had a handgun in his waist band. After Gray was taken into custody, the deputy conducted an inventory search of the vehicle.
While inventorying the car the deputy located a shotgun, a revolver, and a homemade explosive device. There were also additional materials that could be used for making more explosives.
The deputy also discovered approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine with a street value of $10,000, as well as 2.4 ounces of marijuana, several baggies, digital scales, and pipes. The deputy also seized $3,786 dollars in cash along with Gray’s Audi. There were also over 300 rounds of ammunition with the weapons.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol Bomb Squad was summoned to the scene to take custody of the explosive device, and destroyed the explosive device at the scene. The Smithville Fire Department and DeKalb County Emergency Medical Services were placed on standby due to the severity of the scene with the explosive device. The Smithville Police Department assisted in the case.
Gray was charged with prohibited weapons (explosives), methamphetamine-manufacture, possess, deliver or sell, armed dangerous felony, and sale and delivery of a schedule VI (marijuana) with a total bond amount of $350,000. The subject was also issued a citation for light law, registration violation, and drug paraphernalia.
