Puxico man's charges include drug possession in jail

A Puxico man remains in the Stoddard County Jail under a $35,000 cash only bond after his arrest Friday on a number of traffic and drug-related charges.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed on Friday, Trooper David Nelson with the Missouri State Highway Patrol was summoned to the scene of an accident at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Nelson found an abandoned vehicle in a ditch on Route T. The vehicle's plates traced it to Richard Allen Benfield, 65.

A search of the vehicle revealed a bag of syringes in the glove box, a glass pipe with a powdery substance, a metal spoon with residue, a round piece of glass with residue, a small clear bag with a small amount of white powder, a clear bag containing marijuana, and a pair of hemostats with burnt residue were found in the back seat. The glass pipe, metal spoon and the substance in the clear bag were all field tested and were identified as methamphetamine.

Nelson proceeded to the residence of Richard Benfield and placed him under arrest for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia.

After placing Benfield under arrest, the trooper found a piece of aluminum foil and a straw with residue in his left front pocket. He was transported to the Stoddard County Jail. At the jail, Benfield asked the correctional officer if he could use the restroom, where he was witnessed dropping an item in the commode. The correctional officer at the jail retrieved the item, a small plastic bag containing again a white powdery substance and informed Nelson of the incident. The substance was seized as evidence, field tested and tested positive for methamphetamine.

Benfield was additionally charged with the Class C felony of delivery/attempt to deliver/possess/deposit/conceal controlled substance at a correctional facility.