K9 Unit Detects Methamphetamine, Makes Two Arrests After Traffic Stop in Mount Vernon

MOUNT VERNON — Two suspects remain in jail after being indicted on drug charges by a Knox County grand jury Monday — thanks to a K9 unit that detected methamphetamine during a traffic stop.

According to a press release from the Mount Vernon Police Department, Judy McCloskey and Steven Garrad were indicted by the Knox County District Attorney’s Office during a July 1 grand jury session.

The suspects were both charged with aggravated drug trafficking, which in this case is a first-degree felony.

The charges also included a major drug offender specification due to the amount of drugs seized, police said. Both suspects are currently incarcerated at the Knox County Jail. Their bail was set at $100,000 cash with no surety bond at 10 percent.

The incident occurred on June 23, when officers from the Mount Vernon Police Department’s Patrol Division conducted a traffic stop in the area of ​​Mount Vernon Avenue and Clay Street.

During the stop, a K9 unit was mobilized and was positively alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle.

The driver, McCloskey, and the passenger, Garrad, were arrested and removed from the vehicle, police said. During a search of the vehicle, more than 300 grams (nearly 3/4 pound) of suspected methamphetamine were found along with cash and drug paraphernalia.

The approximate street value of that amount of methamphetamine is well over $11,000, authorities said. McCloskey and Garrad were both arrested at the scene and charged with aggravated drug trafficking.

The Mount Vernon Police Department is a member of the METRICH Drug Enforcement Task Force.