By Pat Culverhouse

Driving a vehicle with license plates that had been expired nearly eight months has resulted in a legal headache for two men who have been tagged on drug distribution charges.

Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver said 34-year-old Ramon C. Henderson of Homer has been arrested for possession of CDS Sch. I (marijuana) with intent to distribute and three traffic charges.

His companion, 28-year-old Antonio Dejuan Thornton, is charged with possession of CDS Sch. I (marijuana) with intent to distribute. Thornton gave an address in the 200 block of Roy St. in Minden.

Both reportedly are being held at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center where Henderson faces a total bond of $25,500 while Thornton’s bond is set at $25,000.

MPD officer Branthony Brown reportedly stopped Henderson’s vehicle around 3:45 p.m. Friday at the intersection of East and Talton streets when he observed the vehicle’s expired tags.

After approaching the vehicle, officer Brown reportedly noticed a strong odor of suspected marijuana inside. Thornton, a passenger in the vehicle, was questioned about the possible presence of marijuana, and reportedly retrieved a bag containing marijuana from his right boot which he handed to Brown and officer Cody James.

Officers said Thornton also pulled a jar containing marijuana from a space beside the passenger seat. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered approximately two pounds of marijuana in a bag located in the trunk.

An additional roughly 2.8 grams of marijuana reportedly was removed from Henderson’s shoe after he was taken to Minden police headquarters.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.