Casper Man Accused of Trying to Sneak Methamphetamine Into Jail
A man who was arrested after a traffic stop late Wednesday allegedly made things worse when he tried to take two baggies of methamphetamine into jail with him.
Jonathan W. Bittleston, 25, was booked on charges of driving under suspension, altered registration, possession of methamphetamine and taking contraband into jail.
Court documents say a police officer saw a white Ford Ranger accelerate quickly through an intersection. The truck seemed to lack proper muffling, as the engine exhaust was reportedly loud enough to be heard for several blocks.
The officer stopped the truck after clocking it going 40 mph in a 30-mph speed zone and watching the truck make a sudden, improper lane change, according to an affidavit.
The driver -- Bittleston -- reportedly told the officer his truck was "turbo-ed," which is why it was so loud. He allegedly said he'd recently purchased the truck from his boss.
He presented a title for the truck, issued to his boss, which was not notarized nor signed as sold and also lacked a date of sale and notarization. It also contained no information on the buyer, charging papers say.
A bill of sale dated Jan. 12 reportedly described the truck sold "as is" for $50. The bill of sale was not notarized and did not describe the buyer.
Bittleston allegedly told the officer he had been "making payments" on the truck, which seemed odd to the officer.
The officer checked Bittleston's license and found it was suspended through Jan. 30, 2019. He arrested Bittleston based on the totality of the circumstances, the affidavit says.
Inside a "Tootsie Roll" change bank in a cup holder, an officer found a tightly-rolled dollar bill which allegedly had trace amounts of white residue inside.
Bittleston was arrested at about midnight. He reportedly said he "found" the change cup in the "parking lot of a gas station" and didn't know about the dollar bill.
It turns out the registration tab on the truck belonged to another car Bittlestone owned, according to charging papers. Bittleston allegedly admitted he had put the tab on the truck in an effort to show the truck had valid registration.
Bittleston was arrested and the truck was towed.
About two hours later, the arresting officer was called to the Natrona County Detention Center where a deputy said Bittleston had tried to smuggle meth into the jail.
The deputy said, according to charging papers, that Bittleston had tried to "palm" something in his hands while completing the intake paperwork.
A deputy confronted Bittleston, who allegedly tried to hide two baggies in the paperwork. The deputy examined the baggies and reportedly saw opaque crystals that looked like methamphetamine.
Bittleston reportedly asked, "What did you find there?" He allegedly tried to act like he didn't know about the baggies, but deputies noted he immediately began to cry when he was placed into his cell.
The baggies weighed .88 grams and .62 grams, respectively, with one testing positive for methamphetamine.
Bittleston's criminal history as presented in the affidavit shows he was convicted in 2010 for grand larceny and convicted in 2012 for escape.