West virginia woman cited after cumberland traffic stop leads to drug paraphernalia discovery

CUMBERLAND, Md. — A traffic stop in Cumberland led to a drug paraphernalia charge against a West Virginia woman after a police K-9 alerted officers to the presence of suspected controlled dangerous substances inside a vehicle, according to the Cumberland Police Department.

Jennifer Nicole Gant, 41, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was cited following the early morning stop and later released pending a court appearance.

K-9 Alert Prompted Vehicle Search

According to Cumberland Police, the incident occurred at approximately 1 a.m. on May 20 in the area of Oldtown Road.

An officer observed a traffic violation and stopped the vehicle being driven by Gant. During the encounter, the officer requested a K-9 unit to conduct a free-air sniff around the exterior of the vehicle.

Police said the K-9 alerted positively, giving officers probable cause to search the vehicle.

The subsequent search resulted in the discovery of what authorities described as controlled dangerous substance (CDS) paraphernalia.

Citation Issued After Arrest

Following the search, Gant was placed under arrest and issued a criminal citation for possession of CDS paraphernalia.

The Cumberland Police Department said she was later released from the scene pending trial in Maryland District Court.

Key Points

• Cumberland Police stopped a vehicle on Oldtown Road after observing a traffic violation.
• A police K-9 alerted to the vehicle during a free-air sniff.
• Jennifer Nicole Gant was cited for possession of CDS paraphernalia and released pending court proceedings.

Separate Arrest Involved Failure to Appear Warrant

In a separate case announced Saturday, Cumberland Police served a bench warrant on Nathaniel Andrew Morgan, 27, of Cumberland.

The warrant stemmed from Morgan’s failure to appear in court on May 27, according to police.

Officers arrested Morgan on May 29 and transported him to Central Booking. He later appeared before a District Court commissioner and was released on an unsecured $500 bond.

Police said Morgan’s charge is failure to appear.

Both cases remain pending in Maryland District Court. Gant is awaiting trial on the paraphernalia charge, while Morgan has been released following his initial court appearance on the bench warrant.

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