Spokane traffic stop leads to mobile drug stash

A traffic stop by Spokane police led to the discovery of a large stash of drugs and money in a Lincoln Mark III being driven by a Spokane man. Scott E. McTighe, 48, was initially stopped on Wednesday night for making an improper turn at North Napa Street and East Trent Avenue, but is now in jail on drug charges. A check with the Department of Licensing confirmed that McTighe was driving with a suspended license so he was arrested on the misdemeanor charge. A subsequent search of McTighe turned up a metal vial on his keychain that contained what officers discovered to be a schedule IV narcotic, Clonazepam, that is illegal to possess without a prescription. Police then discovered a large amount of cash with McTighe, who was taken to jail early Thursday. He is being held there this morning. Officer Erick Specht later discovered three baggies of heroin left in the back of his patrol car, according to a police department press release. Officer Amy Ross seized the McTighe’s car and later obtained a court search warrant, which was executed on Saturday. Inside the car, officers found more than 14 ounces of heroin, two baggies of methamphetamine, baggies marijuana and cash. In a press release early today, Sgt. Kevin King said, “This ‘routine’ traffic stop resulted in the identification and arrest of a drug dealer and the removal of a significant amount of narcotics from the streets of Spokane.”