Smithville Police apparently solved a Wilson County auto theft with the arrest of a 34 year old Woodbury man last Saturday.
Brady Gordon Cunningham is charged with possession of stolen property, a second offense of driving under the influence, and driving on a revoked license. His bond is $9,000. He also faces an auto theft charge in Lebanon. Cunningham is further charged with introduction of a controlled substance into a penal institution where prisoners are quartered. His bond on that offense is $1,500 and he will be in court on all local charges February 2.
Chief Randy Caplinger reports that police received a call on Saturday, January 21 to be on the lookout for someone driving toward Smithville in a 2007 Chevy Silverado that could have been stolen. Cunningham had stopped to get gas in Alexandria and when someone there had paid him a compliment about his truck, Cunningham reportedly replied that he had just stolen it. The incident was then reported to central dispatch.
Smithville Police spotted a truck fitting the description and pulled it over on West Broad Street. The driver, Cunningham, had slurred speech and appeared to be under the influence. He was asked to get out of the truck. He was unsteady on his feet. Cunningham submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. A computer check of his drivers license revealed them to be revoked for a previous DUI conviction. According to Chief Caplinger, the license tag on the truck belonged Cunningham but was registered to a Honda car. Cunningham told the officer that he had recently traded the car for the truck and had left his registration paper work at home. The pickup had not been reported as stolen. Police then conducted an Internet search using the serial number of the truck and found that it came from the Highway 231 auto dealership in Lebanon. The owner of the business was contacted. After checking, he discovered that the truck was missing from the car lot. After he reported it stolen, Cunningham was charged in the theft. Cunningham had in his possession the original key to the truck. Authorities are not sure how he obtained it.
Sheriff Ray said that after Cunningham was arrested by the Smithville Police Department he was brought to the sheriff’s department. While correctional officers were searching Cunningham, they found on him a prescription bottle that contained three yellow pills believed to be Hydrocodone with Ibuprofen. These pills were in a bottle that did not belong to Cunningham.
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