Loud music led to a traffic stop in Cherokee that resulted in a drug charge. According to court documents, the complaint came from a neighbor who complained someone was playing music in his vehicle too loudly, and it woke up her household. The call came in at 11:42 p.m. on January 2.

When Cherokee Police Officer Tristan Hall arrived on South Texas Street, the woman filing the complaint said the man drove away in a silver vehicle with a California tag. As Hall was driving south on Grand Avenue, he observed the vehicle at 5th and Grand. He initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, known to him as Tamel Lewis from previous dealings. He was aware that Lewis does not have a valid driver’s license. He explained he was stopping the vehicle because of a noise complaint.

As Hall talked to Lewis, he observed a plastic bag containing a white substance on the center console of the vehicle. Asked what it was, Lewis said it was nothing. Hall asked Lewis to hand him the bag. He observed it contained a white powdery substance and inside was a second baggie with a large amount of white powdery substance. Hall notified dispatch and requested another officer.

Lewis initially stated the bag contained Vicodin and he was using it for tooth pain. When Hall explained that it was illegal to possess Vicodin without a prescription, Lewis immediately stated it was Tylenol 3, according to the affidavit. Hall knew Tylenol 3 is also a scheduled narcotic. Lewis was placed in handcuffs and was allowed to contact his cousin to retrieve the vehicle. Lewis continued to change what the substance might be and asked that it be tested.

Cherokee Police Chief Ryan McNeil checked that the distance between where Lewis was stopped in the 500 block of South Fifth and the front door of the Cherokee Junior-Senior High School was approximately 824 feet, according to Google maps.

Lewis was transported to the Alfalfa County Jail where McNeil and Hall tested the white substance. The result was positive for the presence of codeine. Hall observed the baggie was packaged in a way for meant for distribution with the opening heat-sealed closed and containing a premeasured amount. The total weight with the outer bag was approximately 15 grams. The bag inside with the powdery substance weighed 13.5 grams. The item will be submitted to the OSBI Lab for official weight and substance identity.

Tamel Laron Lewis, 35, of Cherokee, has been charged with unlawful possession of controlled drug with intent to distribute while within 2,000 feet of a school, a felony. This crime is punishable by a term of imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not more than 14 years