BEDFORD — A Bedford man was arrested on felony drug charges on the evening of Saturday, November 2, after being found with methamphetamine and other drug-related items in his vehicle.
The arrest followed a report of a suspicious person at Dive Church, located at 892 Peerless Road, and subsequent investigation by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department.
At approximately 9:14 p.m., Lawrence County Central Dispatch received a call from a church member who reported a suspicious individual in the parking lot. Sgt. Robin Compton, Officer Carter, and Officer Duprey responded to the scene. Upon arrival, the officers located the suspicious individual, later identified as Jason Riggle, 46, of Bedford.
Riggle was found in a dark-colored Jeep with a trailer attached, parked on the grass near the church. He claimed that his vehicle was having mechanical issues and would not start. A check of the vehicle’s registration revealed that the plate displayed on the Jeep did not match the vehicle’s identification number, which raised further suspicion. Riggle also gave a false name, telling officers his name was “Easterday,” but investigators later determined his true identity to be Jason Riggle.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Riggle had an active warrant out of Orange County for contempt of court. He was immediately detained.
As part of the investigation, Officer Carter deployed his canine partner Roku, who conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle and alerted officers to the presence of illegal substances near the driver’s side door. A search of the vehicle uncovered several items of evidence. Officers located a matchbox containing matches and a small plastic bag containing 1.29 grams of crystal meth in a black bag found on the rear driver’s side door. A glass smoking device was found in a plastic Ziploc bag near the sunroof, which tested positive for marijuana.
After being detained and secured in the police vehicle, Riggle appeared disoriented and briefly lost consciousness. Medical personnel were called to the scene but determined that Riggle was not experiencing a medical emergency. Riggle denied knowledge of the methamphetamine found in his vehicle.
Riggle was arrested on a charge of possession of meth and transported to the Lawrence County Security Center without further incident. Officers also requested Jackson’s Heavy Haul to remove the Jeep and trailer from the scene.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent unless convicted through due legal proceedings. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
