Newport Man Charged with Procuring Alcohol for Minors after Traffic Stop

NEWPORT, RI—A 27-year-old city man was charged with procuring alcohol for minors and marijuana possession early Tuesday morning after he was stopped while driving with six passengers, all under 21, with open containers of alcohol in the car.

Police also arrested a 16-year-old juvenile and a 20-year-old for underage possession after the traffic stop sparked by Julius B. Taylor, of Shimoda Way, Newport, when he drove in the wrong lane on Bellevue Avenue to pass a car, police said.

According to a police report, an officer on patrol at around 1:32 a.m. saw Taylor pass the car and pulled him over for the traffic violation. The officer reported smelling burnt marijuana emanating from Taylor's vehicle and noticing a half-empty bottle of vodka in the center console.

Two juveniles were sharing a front passenger seat, one of whom was holding a bottle of lemonade that later tested positive for alcohol. That juvenile, 16, was later charged with disorderly conduct for thrashing about in the back of a police car after being arrested along with underage possession of alcohol and violating the conditions of a family court order; she has an 8 p.m. curfew.

Four people were in the back, including two juveniles and two men under 21. The juveniles, along with the other juvenile in the front, were brought to the police station to be picked up by legal guardians.

Taylor reportedly told police that they were on their way to Ocean Drive to "chill" and he passed the car in front of him because it was going "too slow," according to the report.

Once everyone was out of the car, police reported finding a small amount of marijuana in a container in the center console, a rolled marijuana cigarette, a bag of pot in a back seat pocket and two bottles of alcohol.

Taylor was held overnight for arraignment Tuesday in Second Division District Court.

The 16-year-old juvenile female was brought to the training school and is due to appear in Family Court on Tuesday.

The two other adults in the vehicle were released at the scene.