MURFREESBORO – Surveillance by Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) and Roanoke-Chowan Narcotics Task Force led to the arrest of a Murfreesboro man Tuesday night.

Lieutenant Larry Newsome of MPD and Task Force Commander Frank Timberlake initiated a traffic stop on the driver of the moped after they observed the vehicle driving erratically on a local street.

According to the report given by MPD Police Chief Darrell Rowe, when the vehicle stopped, the officers approached the subject and noted him placing something in his mouth. The subject complied with the officers order to remove the object from his mouth, at which time they seized, what they believed to be a small amount of cocaine.

The subject, Dennis Earl Griffith, 52, of Murfreesboro was charged with one felony count possession of cocaine and one felony count of maintaining a vehicle for the purpose of transporting cocaine.

He was arrested and brought before the magistrate in Murfreesboro where he was placed under a $25,000 secured bond and later transported to the Hertford County jail.

&uot;I want to praise Lieutenant Newsome and Commander Timberlake for their attention to detail and professional actions in carrying out this arrest,&uot; said Chief Rowe. &uot;It once again demonstrates to the citizens of Hertford County the close working relationship of law enforcement agencies.&uot;