TWO TEENS ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES

North Lincoln High School students Jordan Branch (left) and James Adkins' Christmas vacation came to a screeching halt early Saturday morning after being arrested on drug charges.

By Jon Mayhew

LINCOLNTON -- Christmas vacation ended early for two North Lincoln High School teens after a traffic stop early Saturday morning.

Around 12:50am, Lincolnton Police Sgt. Jeremy Wilson noticed a 1994 Honda Civic driven by Jordan Stuart Branch, 17, 6608 Wingate Hill Road, Denver, traveling east on East Main Street with a burned-out headlight.

Wilson turned his cruiser around and initiated a traffic stop near Taco Bell on East Main Street. When Wilson told Branch to pull into the parking lot of the Comfort Inn, he smelled a strong odor of marijauna.

Officers noticed a 15-year-old female putting something under the front seat of the vehicle. They asked her to step out of the vehicle and she complied.

After asking the other back-seat passenger -- a 16-year-old juvenile -- to step out of the vehicle, officers were preparing to ask the front seat passenger, James Edward Atkins, 17, 1392 Northgate Court, Denver, to exit the vehicle when Wilson saw plastic baggies inside the vehicle.

After Branch was asked to exit his vehicle, a search revealed a black back with about two ounces of marijauna inside.

Wilson said Branch said the bag was his.

Branch was arrested and charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijauna; possession of mariuanja; maintaining a vehicle for sale and delivery of marijauna; possession of drug paraphernalia; and not having two headlights in operation. He was taken to the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center under a $20,000 secured bond with a first appearance set for Monday.

Passenger Atkins, meantime, was charged with marijauna possession of less than a half ounce and possession with intent to sell and deliver marijauna. He was taken to the Lincoln County Jail on a $10,000 bond with a first court appearance also on Monday.