The Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call to assist an Iowa Highway Patrol Officer at a traffic stop in Riverside.  Fifty-year-old Gregory Lamont Blackmon of Belleville, IL, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, second offense, possession of drug paraphernalia, and control of a firearm by a felon, a Class D Felony.

Blackmon was stopped by Iowa Highway Patrol for going 77 MPH in a 65 MPH zone. During the traffic stop, the officer noted an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A police canine came to the area and performed a sniff on the vehicle with a positive alert. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and a loaded 9mm Hi-Point C9 handgun was located behind the driver’s seat. Blackmon admitted to knowingly possessing the handgun and stated that he was a felon and that there were 12 grams of marijuana in the car for his personal use.

Blackmon was transported to the Washington County Jail and was issued a $5,000 cash or surety bond. Blackmon’s preliminary hearing date has been set for September 29th at 11:00 am at the Washington County Courthouse. KCII will bring you more information as it becomes official.