Traffic stop leads to local man’s arrest on drug-related charges

Columbus police arrested a local man on drug-related charges after a traffic stop in the area of State Street and Illinois Avenue.

Officer Ivan Schultz was patrolling in the area at 5:20 p.m. Thursday when he saw a vehicle fail to signal before turning into a parking lot of a local business, said Officer Alyson Rech, Columbus Police Department spokeswoman.

Schultz stopped a car driven by Dustin E. Biddinger, 28, Columbus, and Schultz asked for a canine to check the car. K-9 Max alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle and officers found marijuana, a digital scale and a small amount of methamphetamine in the passenger side floorboard of the vehicle, Rech said.

Biddinger was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of paraphernalia and possession of marijuana, Rech said.

For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.