A St. James man faces one class E felony of unlawful use of a weapon — possession of a weapon, a felony controlled substance, and a class C felony — unlawful possession of a firearm after a routine traffic stop.

At approximately 3 p.m. on Oct. 4, a St. James Police officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a registration violation. According to the probable cause statement filed in Phelps County Circuit Court, he was driving in the 700 block of North Jefferson when he noticed the vehicle had a tinted license plate cover and expired registration.

The officer conducted a traffic stop and approached the driver, who was identified as Ricky A. Johnson, Jr. An investigation began when the officer was allegedly informed by Johnson that his driver’s license was revoked. The officer asked Johnson to sit in the passenger seat of his police vehicle.

While Johnson was stepping out of his vehicle, the officer reported observing multiple rounds of ammunition in the floorboard. During the interview, Johnson allegedly admitted he had some methamphetamine in the visor. The officer asked Johnson for consent to search the vehicle, and was granted consent.

The officer began a search and located a firearm behind the driver's seat, which was identified as a Heritage Rough Rider .22. Johnson allegedly told the officer he knew the firearm was in the vehicle because it belonged to his daughter. He was placed in handcuffs due to his previous admission of being a felon and was read his rights.

Dispatch was notified and asked to check if Johnson could possess a firearm. The arresting officer was told he could not because he is a convicted felon in Missouri. According to the probable cause statement, Johnson’s earliest felony conviction was in July 2002 for leaving the scene of an accident, and his most recent felony was in August 2018 for escape/attempted escape from confinement.

The officer also discovered the suspected methamphetamine in the visor of the vehicle, which field-tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 0.7 grams.

Following the investigation, Johnson was arrested and taken to the Phelps County Jail. A warrant was issued on Oct. 5 by the Phelps County Circuit Court, and bond was set at $25,000 with special conditions, including the defendant:

• Shall not violate the law;

• Shall appear as ordered in this case until it is disposed;

• Shall not possess a firearm or other deadly weapon;

• Shall consent to a search of his/her person, residence, vehicle or possessions upon request of a law enforcement officer or the OCCS office supervising the defendant;

• Shall be supervised by OCCS, Inc, and shall report to the OCCS office at 400 North Main Street, Suite 201, Rolla, Missouri (573-364-5708) no later than 9 a.m. on the first business day following his or her release on bond. Bond supervision shall be at the defendant's expense;

• Shall follow all directives of OCCS and the officer supervising his/her bond;

• Is prohibited from using or possessing marijuana;

• Is prohibited from possessing or consuming alcohol or alcoholic beverages;

• Shall submit to chemical testing of his/her blood, breath or urine to determine usage of controlled substances or alcohol as directed or requested by OCCS or the court;

• Shall submit to chemical testing of his/her blood, breath or urine to determine usage of controlled substances or alcohol at least times per week.