Dennis Ray Wheeler, 50, of Pevely allegedly was found with a substance that tested positive as methamphetamine after he was stopped by a Pevely Police officer for riding a scooter with a nonfunctioning taillight, according to court documents.
Wheeler was arrested on Aug. 30, and as of Sept. 7, he was being held on a $4,000 bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, court records show.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on May 7 charged Wheeler with possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony. However, the charge will be tried as a class C felony, punishable by three to 10 years in prison, because Wheeler is considered a prior offender, court documents said.
Wheeler was found guilty of felony drug possession in May 2024 in Jefferson County, according to court records.
A Pevely Police officer at about 11 p.m. July 30, 2024, stopped Wheeler near the intersection of Fifth Street and Elm Street. The officer found two crystal-like substances in Wheeler’s pocket, according to the case’s probable-cause statement.
Wheeler allegedly admitted the substances were meth. The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed the substances were meth in April, the report said.