The Kennesaw State Police Department recovered a stolen handgun and 90 grams of marijuana on Friday, Sept. 6, from a student’s vehicle during a traffic stop near the Kennesaw campus.
Shortly after midnight, Officer Christian Shepherd pulled over a vehicle with a broken taillight near George Busbee Drive, according to a police report. The vehicle was occupied by KSU student Jason Uredi, along with passengers Chais Tolbert, William Bradford and Kerry Sampson. Shepherd requested backup upon discovering the other occupants.
Upon requesting the license and registration of the driver, Uredi, Shepherd noticed the scent of marijuana coming from the vehicle. He then asked the driver to step out of the vehicle and the driver complied, according to the report.
Shepherd asked for Uredi’s consent to search his person, which he voluntarily gave. Shepherd found a plastic container with a few grams of marijuana inside, which was confiscated. Uredi was then detained with handcuffs.
Since the driver was found with a controlled substance, the rest of the vehicle became subject to a search. Additional KSUPD officers arrived on scene to assist Shepherd.
Bradford then attempted to exit the vehicle but was ordered to stay seated.
“He became visibly excited,” Shepherd said. “I along with [Officer] Small made an attempt to explain why we stopped the vehicle and calm him down.”
Tolbert was searched by Shepherd, who found over $1,500 in cash, approximately 50 grams of marijuana, digital scales, mason jars and a loaded handgun.
The officers ran the serial number from the handgun and discovered that the weapon had been reported stolen from Newton County, Georgia. Tolbert was then placed under arrest and transported to the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without further incident.
Uredi was given a citation for the broken taillight and promptly released from the scene, along with two of the other passengers.
Under the floorboards of the vehicle, Shepherd found approximately 40 grams of marijuana and more digital weight scales. Since the marijuana was found in different parts of the vehicle, each weighing less than an ounce, no charges were made.
Officers located another handgun that was later found to be registered to one of the passengers who was a licensed carrier.
An arrest warrant was placed on Tolbert for possession of more than one ounce of marijuana, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and theft by receiving stolen property. Tolbert’s bond was set at $15,000.
KSU Emergency Services are available at 770-423-6666 or can be reached via text at 770-356-3866.
Peyton Elliott contributed to this article.
