Brownwood Police arrested a local United Parcel Service driver on theft and drug related charges on Thursday morning.
At approximately 11:00 a.m., after a joint investigation with UPS security, officers arrived at the business in the 1500 block of Custer Road to serve an arrest warrant on 34-year-old Benjamen Smith of Brownwood. According to the report, Smith was arrested on a felony charge of theft of a firearm, a handgun.
After being arrested, Smith attempted to abandon a multi-pocketed bag and cell phone that were in his possession, stating that he did not want to take the bag or cell phone, but never indicated who he would leave the bag and cell phone with, the police report states. It appeared that he was going to lay the items on a nearby desk and leave them, the officer reported.
Because the bag and cell phone were in his possession at the time of the arrest, they were taken into custody as evidence, the report states. A later search of the bag located a glass smoking pipe containing residue which field tested positive for methamphetamine, two driver’s licenses, a commercial driver’s license medical card issued to Smith, and a pair of sunglasses. Smith was additionally charged with possession of a controlled substance penalty group 1 less than 1 gram, the report states.Smith requested to be allowed to use the bathroom, but his request was denied for fear that he might have contraband in his possession that he might attempt to destroy, according to the officer’s report. As the officers walked Smith to an unmarked vehicle, he became belligerent and began pulling away from the officer telling him to take his hands off of him. Because of this aggressive behavior, a marked car was then called to transport Smith to the Brown County Jail.
As the jail staff was processing Smith, he again requested to use the bathroom and was accompanied by a jailer. Smith positioned his body to block the jailor’s view of the toilet, and after he had finished using the bathroom, the jailor noticed a piece of paper in the toilet bowl, according to the report. The paper and its possible contents were unable to be recovered due to their saturation.
Based on the information developed during the investigation, the investigating officer applied for and received a search warrant for Smith’s residence, located on River Oaks Drive, the report states. During the search of Smith’s home, a small Ball canning jar containing a usable amount of marijuana was found in a toolbox in his garage and seized as evidence.
Brownwood Assistant Chief of Police James Fuller stated that the investigation determined that more items were stolen, including a quantity of rare coins.
“We’re concerned that more items were stolen and sold to citizens within the community. These citizens may have thought they made legitimate purchases,” said Fuller. “If a citizen has a concern about an erroneous purchase, they are welcome to contact Brownwood Police Department.”
Fuller explained that more charges are expected to be filed against Smith in the near future and that the investigation is ongoing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been contacted regarding the theft of the firearm and will most likely join in the investigation of this crime.
Smith remained in the Brown County Jail as of Friday morning facing charges of theft of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance penalty group 1 less than 1 gram and possession of marijuana less than 2 ounces.
