Hanceville traffic stop leads to meth trafficking arrests

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Hanceville Police Department

Editor's Note: We have requested mugshots from the Hanceville PD and will post them when they are received.

HANCEVILLE – Two people were arrested in Hanceville this week and charged with trafficking methamphetamine (ICE). Michael James Coker, 42, and Robin Elliot, 34, were arrested following a traffic stop.

At approximately 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, a Hanceville Police Department (HPD) patrol officer spotted Coker driving on County Road 541; Elliot was the sole passenger in the vehicle.  Recognizing Coker and knowing that he did not have a driver's license, the officer turned to pursue.  The officer witnessed a bag being thrown from the car before it pulled over.

As the officer was citing Coker for driving with a revoked license, a second HPD patrolman arrived.  Retrieving the tossed bag, the officers discovered approximately 56 grams (roughly 2 ounces) of ICE methamphetamine inside.  Coker and Elliot were taken into custody and booked into the Cullman County Detention Center.

Both Coker and Elliot have a history of prior arrests for drug-related offenses; both were arrested in Hanceville as recently as last summer for unlawful possession of a controlled substance. 

Hanceville Police Chief Bob Long noted that Coker has been the subject of complaints from several Hanceville citizens who reported he was dealing drugs in the area.

Possession of more than 28 grams of meth/"ICE" is considered trafficking, and is a class A felony that carries a mandatory minimum 3-year sentence and $50,000 fine upon conviction, according to the Code of Alabama.

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