An Atoka man was arrested on multiple drug-related charges and traffic violations early Wednesday morning after a traffic stop for a defective brake light. According to a police report filed by Atoka Police Officer Drake Smith, the incident occurred at approximately 2:27 AM on Highway 69 near Shady Lane.
Officer Smith stated he initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with a non-functioning third brake light, which pulled into the parking lot of Diamond Attachments.
Upon contacting the driver, later identified as Erich James Zumbaugh, Officer Smith requested his driver's license and proof of insurance. Zumbaugh reportedly hesitated before providing his license and stated he did not have insurance for the vehicle.
A check revealed Zumbaugh was a valid driver, but the vehicle's tag had expired on April 1, 2025. Zumbaugh then reportedly began asking the officer about Oklahoma's marijuana laws. Officer Smith informed him of the requirement for a medical marijuana card.
When asked if he had marijuana in the vehicle, Zumbaugh initially responded with 'I was just curious' before admitting to a small amount in the center console.
Zumbaugh was asked to step out of the vehicle and was detained while Officer Smith conducted a probable cause search, assisted by Officer Grady Blackwood.
During the search, officers allegedly discovered a prerolled marijuana cigarette in the driver's side door, approximately 6 grams of marijuana in a glass container in the center console, a white pill, a portable scale, a glass container with approximately 1 gram of a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for fentanyl, a glass container with about 9 grams of THC oil, a black grinder, a bag labeled 'THC gummies,' and a folded piece of aluminum foil containing approximately 1 gram of a white crystal substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Zumbaugh was then placed under arrest for the traffic violation and the multiple possession charges.
