Troutman, N.C. — A routine traffic stop in Troutman on the evening of May 29, 2025, led to the arrest of a Gastonia man after officers discovered illegal drugs in his vehicle.
At approximately 8:17 p.m., officers conducted a stop on a vehicle traveling along Charlotte Highway at the intersection with Flower House Loop for an expired registration plate. The driver, identified as 41-year-old James David Branch of Gastonia, gave officers consent to search the vehicle.
During the search, officers located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Branch was arrested and charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was transported to the Iredell County Detention Center and brought before a magistrate, where he was ordered held without bond. Authorities noted that Branch was currently out on pre-trial release related to a separate case at the time of the arrest.
The case remains under investigation.
