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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Mismatched plates usher meth arrest

From Staff Reports

Two is not better than one in the case of license plates that don’t match.

Spokane Valley police Officer Richard Johnson was patrolling the Greenacres neighborhood about 9:45 a.m. Saturday when he saw a Dodge pickup that had different license plates on the front and back, said police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.

Johnson stopped the truck, identified the driver as 39-year-old Kyle L. Koontz and learned that his driver’s license was suspended. Johnson arrested the Chewelah resident and then searched the truck. Johnson found a small baggie of methamphetamine in a cigarette package and also found a small tin in the driver’s door pocket that contained meth residue, Reagan said.

Koontz was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a felony count of possession of a controlled substance, and he was cited for switched license plates, failure to provide proof of insurance and having an open alcohol container.

Missing license plate leads to cocaine arrest

For another Saturday driver, it was having only one license plate on his car that caused trouble.

Officer Rob King spotted an SUV driving south on Greenacres Road with a single license plate, said police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan. King stopped the car and identified the driver as 19-year-old Stewart G. Nichols. The man pointed out his front license plate, which had been placed on the dashboard of the vehicle.

While King talked to the driver, Officer Richard Johnson was visiting with the passenger, 21-year-old Christopher Lee. Johnson arrested him after smelling and then finding marijuana and two smoking pipes in the center console of the SUV, Reagan said.

King had Nichols step from the vehicle and a more extensive search revealed a baggie of cocaine in the dash compartment. The driver said the drug was his, Reagan said.

Nichols was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a felony count of possession of cocaine. Lee was cited for a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana and released.