Loudon man faces list of charges after routine traffic stop

On Wednesday, December 18, at approximately 12:57 a.m, Patrolman William Jenkins with the Loudon Police Department observed an Infinity car traveling on Hackberry Street with a registration sticker that expired in November.

According to the report obtained by The News-Herald, Jenkins conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle on Hackberry Street near the intersection of Riverbend Drive.

Jenkins made contact with the driver identified as 25-year-old Jose Cortes of Loudon, who was the lone occupant of the vehicle.

While speaking with Cortes, Jenkins reported that he could see beer cans in the passenger-side floor board and smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from the suspect’s mouth.

Cortes told Jenkins that he knew he shouldn’t be driving because his license wasn’t valid. Jenkins then had the offender step out of the vehicle, placed him in handcuffs and placed him in the back seat of his patrol car.

Upon running the suspect through dispatch, the patrolman discovered that the license had been revoked for DUI, and that the suspect had a violation- of-probation warrant out of Bradley County.

Additionally, Cortes also had a child support warrant out of Loudon County, and a capias warrant out of criminal court out of Loudon County.

A search of the vehicle uncovered an amount of white powder suspected of being cocaine in a plastic baggie that was inside a white case located in the trunk of the car.

Also in the backpack, according to the police report, were numerous unidentified pills that were described as red, white and blue. Patrolman Jenkins also took custody of the offender’s phone and wallet with $447 in cash to drop into evidence.

Cortes was unable to provide Jenkins with proper registration or proof of financial responsibility. He also had no proof of ownership of the vehicle.

The officer reported that the title to the vehicle that wasn’t signed by the offender would be dropped into evidence.

Jenkins transported the offender to the Loudon County jail and Narcotics was notified.

Cortes was charged with attachment, capias-criminal court, driving on a revoked/suspended license, expiration of certificates and plates, financial responsibility law, manufacture, sell, delivery, resale SCH I, signing registration in vehicle … and was held on $31,725 bond.