KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Kingsport police charged a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier with several drug-related counts Tuesday after they allegedly witnessed him “ingesting narcotics in plain sight” inside a mail truck.
According to a Kingsport Police Department (KPD) news release, members of the KPD’s vice and narcotics unit were conducting surveillance of Joshua Honaker, 44, of Blountville, as part of a joint investigation with the federal Office of the Inspector General.
During the surveillance, Honaker was observed stopping a U.S.P.S. mail truck in a parking lot in the 1900 block of Lowell Drive. It was there that Honaker was allegedly witnessed using drugs.
Detectives approached Honaker and detained him without any incident, the release states. They searched Honaker and his vehicle and allegedly found crystal residue believed to be methamphetamine in both a cut straw and a bubble gum container. They also found a pill identified as oxycodone, according to the release.
Honaker is charged with driving while in possession of methamphetamine, simple possession/casual exchange of methamphetamine, simple possession/casual exchange of oxycodone and possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia.
Honaker was jailed at Kingsport’s city jail and the truck was released back to the U.S.P.S.
