William Townsend 55, of Dayton, was charged with possession of fentanyl during a traffic stop Wednesday evening.
Officers of the Washington Township Police Department on patrol about 7:30 p.m. observed a van traveling on State Route 708, south of Russells Point, with expired license plates.
A traffic stop was initiated and the driver was identified as Townsend. He advised officers he was not a valid driver, but did have a licensed passenger riding with him.
Officers learned that Townsend had several warrants out of Dayton for his arrest. The defendant was instructed to exit the vehicle and a search of his person yielded a baggie containing a brown powdery substance in his waistband. Townsend advised the substance was fentanyl.
He was placed under arrest and transported to Logan County Jail. He also was cited for driving without a valid license, failure to reinstate, and expired registration. A criminal history check revealed that Townsend has several prior drug convictions, officers said.