Special to Iredell Free News

Mooresville Police Department officers recently arrested two subjects on drug and weapons charges after conducting traffic stops. Both arrests resulted in the seizure of illegal narcotics and firearms from suspects that live outside of Mooresville and were bringing them into the Mooresville community, police said.

Traffic stop on Highway 150 results on Oxycodone seizure

On March 9, MPD officers conducted a traffic stop of Kenneth Ashonte Agurs, 23, of Charlotte on Highway 150 after observing him commit a traffic violation, police said. After stopping the vehicle, officers conducted a probable-cause search, which resulted in the seizure of 800 pills of Oxycodone and a concealed handgun, police said.

Agurs was charged with felony trafficking in opium by transport, felony trafficking in opium by possession, felony maintaining a vehicle to keep or sell a controlled substance, felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a schedule II controlled substance, misdemeanor carrying a concealed handgun, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, and misdemeanor driving with a revoked license.

Agurs was placed in the Iredell County Detention Center under a $100,000 secured bond.

MPD officers seize short-barreled rifle, marijuana

On March 10, MPD officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle on Williamson Road for a seat belt violation, police said. During the traffic stop, officers developed probable cause to search the vehicle and located a large quantity of marijuana and a concealed firearm, police said.

Officers located a Skorpion VZ61 semi-automatic short-barreled 7.65 mm rifle under the passenger seat of the vehicle, police said. Officers also located a backpack on the back passenger side floorboard of the vehicle which contained 310 grams of marijuana in multiple bags and a set of scales, police said.

Ojarrey Jamal Williams of Kannapolis, 34, who was a passenger in the vehicle, claimed ownership of the items located by officers, according to police.

Williams was charged with felony possession of a weapon of mass destruction, felony possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, felony possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, felony possession of marijuana and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was placed in the Iredell County Detention Center under a $35,000 secured bond.

Williams is a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history that includes convictions for selling cocaine, common law robbery, assault on law enforcement with injury, breaking and entering and habitual assault. At the time of his arrest, he was out on bond for charges of felony breaking and entering with the intent to terrorize and misdemeanor assault on a female in Mecklenburg County.