ATHENS, Ala. – Limestone County Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin held his first news conference since Governor Kay Ivey appointed him to fill the position vacated by Mike Blakely. The news conference was to discuss a drug trafficking arrest.
The Sheriff’s Office said an investigator was driving in the 800-block of US-72 East around 9:05 a.m. when he noticed a 2007 Dodge Ram stopped in the left eastbound lane.
The driver was passed out at the wheel and the investigator stopped to check on the driver.
When the investigator approached the truck, the driver began driving away, before stopping at the investigator’s command.
The investigator found a printer commonly used for making counterfeit money in the back seat, and the investigator found the driver, Joseph Anthony Williams had a felony warrant for counterfeit money.
Photo courtesy of the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office.
Williams was arrested on the warrant and after searching the vehicle, the investigator found more than 200 counterfeit bills along with the printer, tools to make the counterfeit money, and an unspecified amount of methamphetamine.
Williams, 38, was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of counterfeiting tools, and several counts of first-degree possession of a forged instrument.
Sheriff Joshua McLaughin said multiple agencies assisted.
“The commitment to the safety of our county is unwavering throughout the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. I would like to commend Investigator Durden for his quick observation that led to this arrest, that removed dangerous drugs and counterfeit money from being distributed in our county. I would also like to thank the City of Athens Police Department, Lincoln County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service, for their assistance in this case.”
Limestone County Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin
In addition, the Limestone County Sheriff Narcotics Division was called to the scene.
