Cookeville Police arrested a Smithville man and Cookeville woman Tuesday after they were found with a meth lab in their truck during a traffic stop for following too closely to a vehicle in front of them.
40 year old Caleb Andrew Lincoln of Lee Braswell Road in Smithville and 29 year old Michelle C. Clouse of West Jackson Street in Cookeville are charged with manufacturing a controlled substance. Lincoln was also charged with driving under the restriction of being a habitual motor offender. Clouse was further charged with introduction into a penal facility. Lincoln is free on a $30,000 bond. Clouse’s bond is $10,000. They are to make a court appearance in Putnam County next month.
In his report of the incident, Cookeville Officer Dustin Hensley wrote that on Tuesday, June 16 “I observed a blue Ford Ranger following extremely close behind a silver truck heading east on Broad Street. Getting behind the blue Ford Ranger I also observed it was displaying an expired registration from April 2015. I then conducted a traffic stop at 2500 West Jackson Street (Cane Creek Apts).”
Officer Hensley’s report continued, “I approached the driver side of the vehicle and asked the male driver, who I later found out to be Caleb Lincoln, for his identification. Mr. Lincoln said he didn’t have his driver license on him and I asked him if he had a driver license and he said he did not. I then asked the female passenger who was later identified as Michelle Clouse if she had any identification and she said she didn’t. I explained to Mr. Lincoln the reason for the traffic stop and he admitted to following too close to the vehicle in front of him. I also noticed that Mr.Lincoln had a fresh red bloody area in the crevice of his right arm that he was trying to cover up with a bandage. I asked Mr. Lincoln when was the last time that he had “shot up” and he said about 10 days ago. I then asked both subjects if there was anything illegal in the vehicle and Ms. Clouse said no but Mr. Lincoln was very hesitant about answering. Mr. Lincoln then said he had some methamphetamine residue and some “rigs”.
“While waiting for my backup to arrive before searching the vehicle, a computer check of Mr. Lincoln through dispatch revealed that he had an active warrant in Putnam County and that he was an Habitual Motor Offender in the state of Tennessee. Mr. Lincoln was placed under arrest in double locked restraints with his hands behind his back. During my search of the vehicle I found in the bed of the truck a plastic “Wal Mart” bag with a plastic one gallon jug. It was ¼ of the way full of a bi-layer,, separating liquids commonly used in the “One Pot” method of manufacturing methamphetamine,” according to Officer Hensley’s report.
“At this time I had (another officer)detain Ms. Clouse in double locked restraints behind her back. I also found in the bed of the truck in a separate Wal Mart bag an empty Mason quart jar that had white residue. Inside of a yellow “Dollar General” bag in the bed of the truck was a Lithium battery that had been cut open with the Lithium strip removed, and a folded up coffee filter that had a white substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine. Searching inside of the truck, I found a “K Swiss” back pack that Mr. Lincoln said was his. Inside of the back pack was a black case with 2 used syringes, 8 coffee filters and 3 ft of hollow tubing that had a clear liquid in it. From my training at the Methamphetamine Task Force these components are commonly used to process and manufacture methamphetamine. Both subjects were transported to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office where they were charged accordingly,” wrote Officer Hensley.
“After arriving at the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, (another officer) told me that a female Corrections Officer had found a small plastic bag with a white substance believed to be methamphetamine around the crotch area of Ms. Clouse. Ms. Clouse was also charged with introduction into a penal facility”, according to the police report.
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