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Name:
Hanson, Preston Cole
Date of Booking:
06/18/2026
Reason(s) For Booking:
DUI – DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS
DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED/REVOKED
POSSESSION AND USE OF DRUG RELATED OBJECTS
POSSESSION OF A SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
About at least a year prior to this incident, I had received a reliable tip that Preston was a regular meth user, and that he often had some with him when he was traveling the roads. I had served him child support papers a couple of years ago, and afterwards became aware that his GA driver’s license were suspended for child support obligations and F.T.A.; this was still the case as of a few months ago.
At about 10:03pm, I was patrolling in, pulling out from the incident location, when I spotted the above described vehicle coming towards me on GA. Hwy. 32, and it made a right turn into the store, passing beside my driver’s side, such that I could plainly see the offender and recognize him. Believing that his license were still suspended, I backed up to turn around and pull up behind him, as he parked in a space at the side of the store on his own, as if to go in and shop. I activated my blue lights.
He got out quickly and came towards me as I got out quick. I asked “did you get your license back?” He claimed that he did, then I said that I need to see them then. He then indicated to me that he actually had not got the license back. I radioed in a GCIC check thru dispatch. Dispatch informed me that his GA. driver’s license were still suspended for child support and FTA, since 2022. When he had got out, he had left the car running, but the back door window was down. He said that it was his mother’s car.
At a point he fidgeted with his waistband, so after the suspension was confirmed, I placed him in handcuffs. I noticed that his eyes were bloodshot. I confronted him about this, telling him that he looked like he had been using meth. He denied that, saying it was from a medical condition. He said that a GSP trooper previously stopped him and thought the same thing. I confronted Preston about my belief that he was involved with meth, from the prior informant. He said that he “used to use meth” (meaning in the past).
I asked him a series of interdiction questions and saw an obvious “tell”. I had him sit in my truck, as he was under arrest and would be charged for DWLS. I asked him if I could search the car. He seemed hesitant and did not give a definite answer.
The store clerk came out and said that if he was going to jail that the store didn’t want the car left there. Preston gave me a phone number to his mother, who owns the car, but said she takes sleeping medicine. I tried to call her a couple of times, with no answer. I radioed to GSP units 313 and 316 who were in Waynesville, asking if they could bring their drug sniffing k9. I also called Preston’s brother, [REDACTED], to see if he could come get the car, to avoid having it towed, etc.. The GSP troopers arrived within less than 10 minutes. The one trooper recalled a prior encounter with Preston and he thought he had been using meth then.
I spoke to Preston again, about if he was willing to let me search. He claimed that he didn’t have authority to consent, since he didn’t own the car. I told him that the GSP k9 was going to do a free air sniff. Preston commented, “I didn’t want any trouble” in a tone that I took to be an admission. Trooper Austin Edwards walked his k9 “Mando” around the suspect vehicle. Trooper Edwards and the other trooper both said that the dog had alerted on the car, for the odor of illegal drugs. We started to get in to search based on probable cause, but the offender had the key fob in the back seat and had locked the doors. We were able to unlock by reaching in the open window.
At that time, we spotted a corner bag of crystal meth in plain view down in the passsenger front floorboard. When I opened the center arm rest console, there was a used clear glass meth pipe in view. It had a bunch of suspected meth stuck in the neck. There was a small backpack bag in the front passenger floorboard. Upon looking in it, I found another used clear glass meth pipe, with a slight pink tint. There was also an empty corner tie baggie that has powdery residue on it, like it had been used to store drugs that were already consumed.
Trooper Edwards talked to the offender about the drugs and my observations of his eyes, etc.. Trooper Edwards told Preston that he was going to be charging him for driving under the influence of drugs. Trooper Edwards handled the implied consent notice and then issued the citation.
[REDACTED] arrived on scene. The car keyfob was turned over to him, as well as the offender’s cellphone.
I took the offender to our jail. I had Brantley EMS come and check him due to him saying his heart rate felt high, which seemed to be from his anxiety of being arrested. EMS said that he was fine.
I issued him citations for possession of drug related objects and driving while license suspended. I applied for a warrant on him for V.G.C.S.A..
I photographed the recovered contraband before placing it in to evidence for storage until it is taken to the lab.
Note- From what he told me, I believe that he just came from [REDACTED]’s house in the edge of Glynn County.
[End of Narrative]