AZLE, Texas — A traffic stop for expired registration led to the arrest of a Springtown man and the discovery of suspected narcotics and a firearm, police said.
Officers with the Azle Police Department stopped a vehicle Thursday morning, March 26, 2026, and identified the driver as 58-year-old James Loyd Covey. He was initially arrested for driving while license invalid.
During the stop, officers observed materials commonly associated with drug trafficking inside the vehicle and conducted a search.
Investigators said Covey was found in possession of approximately 45 grams of suspected methamphetamine. Officers also located a small digital scale, various items of drug paraphernalia, and a firearm with an altered serial number.
Authorities said Covey is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Records show Covey has a history of prior arrests and convictions, including a January 30, 2026 arrest by Springtown police for failure to appear and bail jumping. In August 2020, he was arrested for drug dealing while on parole. He was later convicted in Parker County in April 2022 for drug dealing and sentenced to five years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice before being released early.
Covey is now charged with manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance penalty group 1 between 4 and 200 grams, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and tampering with identification numbers.
The investigation remains ongoing.
