Darrell Dewight Taylor, 47, of Athens is fac- ing multiple charges after a traffic stop on Feb. 7. He is charged with possession of a pistol by a violent felon, second-degree receiving stolen property, first-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Taylor has been released on a $12,500 bail.

Limestone County Deputy Austin Roberson pulled over a suspicious vehicle equipped with illegal blue lights while on patrol near Highway 72 and Lindsay Lane. The driver, Taylor, was discovered to be driving with a suspended license.

“Deputy Roberson noted the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle,” the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office said.

Once detained, a bag of marijuana was found in Taylor’s pocket. Marijuana, a stolen pistol and a digital scale were located inside the car. A total of 1.23 ounces of marijuana was found.

“The recovered gun, in this case, was stolen in November of 2021. I’m proud of Deputy Roberson for his proactive patrol and attention to detail. Because of this traffic stop, he was able to get a stolen gun out of our community. The Limestone County Sheriff ’s Office will continue to aggressively enforce drug laws in our county which are, as in this case, tied directly to theft and burglary cases,” Limestone County Sheriff ’s Office Joshua McLaughlin said.