An Irving police officer arrested 43-year-old Ronald Eugene Coley early November 6 after a FLOCK safety camera alert flagged a vehicle displaying a stolen license plate near Esters Road and Pioneer Drive.
Around 2:26 a.m., the officer found the truck parked at the gas pumps of the 7-Eleven at 4118 W. Airport Freeway. The engine was running and the vehicle was occupied. As the officer walked up, the driver got out to speak with him. When asked about the license plate, Coley admitted it wasn’t his and said the truck wasn’t his either.
A short time later, Coley asked to speak privately with the officer and stated outright that the truck was stolen and that he knew it was stolen. He also told the officer there were drugs inside the vehicle, including fentanyl.
A check of the VIN confirmed the truck had been reported stolen to DART Police and was listed in NCIC. Officers searched the vehicle and found a black bag on the driver’s side of the dashboard. Inside were 2.1 grams of methamphetamine, 0.9 grams of fentanyl, numerous small baggies used for distribution, and a digital scale. Investigators say the packaging and equipment indicated Coley was selling narcotics, not merely using them.
Coley was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Irving Jail. He is charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG1 (methamphetamine) between 1 and 4 grams, and Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG1/b (fentanyl) under 1 gram. His total bond was set at $40,000.
He remains in custody at the Dallas County Jail and has prior arrests in Dallas and Collin Counties for burglary, fraud, theft, and drug possession.
