The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Jody Bridges, 51, of East St. Louis with possession of a controlled substance. Bridges had a substance that tested positive as methamphetamine when he was arrested at a Festus-area home, court records show.
The drug possession charge is a class D felony, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Bridges was arrested on July 18. He was released on July 21 on a recognizance bond from the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 18, according to court documents.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Matt Moore said a deputy on Nov. 17, 2024, was called to a home in the 2900 block of Victoria Road south of Festus because of a trespasser.
Bridges was at the home when the deputy arrived, but it is not clear in the case’s probable-cause statement if Bridges was trespassing. However, the report said the deputy arrested Bridges because he was wanted by the St. Charles Police on a warrant.
Court records show a warrant for Bridges’ arrest was issued on Feb. 24 after he failed to appear in court. He had been charged in September 2023 for alleged possession of drug paraphernalia.
After Bridges was arrested at the Festus-area home, the deputy allegedly found a bag with a white crystal-like substance in Bridges’ pocket. A Missouri State Highway Patrol lab test said the substance tested positive for meth, according to court papers.