On July 5, 2025, a Coffee County deputy arrested an Eastman man on illegal drug charges during a traffic stop on Bowens Mill Road and the Willacoochee Highway.
The incident report states that the deputy stopped a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado at around 6 a.m. on July 5 because a cooler rack obscured the license plate. During the stop, the deputy learned that the driver, identified as Joseph Clenton Payne, 48, of Eastman, had a suspended license. The report says that the officer told Payne that his vehicle would be towed and asked him if there was anything of value inside the pickup. According to the report, Payne told the officer his wallet was in the truck and he asked the officer to find it because “it contained a large amount of cash.”
While searching for Payne’s wallet, the officer found a bag containing suspected methamphetamine, the report says. Payne was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, driving with a suspended license, and expired tag. He was transported to the Coffee County Jail where he remains.
