UPDATED: Mississippi Fugitive Arrested by Red Lodge Police
There's no such thing as a routine traffic stop, just eventful ones and uneventful ones
By Denise Rivette
Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers issued an alert on March 12 of this year to be on the lookout for fugitive from justice Levi Kade Nelson. A few days ago Red Lodge Police Department made a “routine” traffic stop that resulted in his arrest and further charges. As mentioned in a previous article, the amounts of drugs and firearms found during traffic stops are skyrocketing in Montana.
On April 19, 2024, at approximately 7:06 p.m. an adult male driving a pickup truck was pulled over for minor traffic violations at Broadway Avenue North and Robinson Lane in Red Lodge by Sergeant Jordan-Thomas Webb and Officer Jess Graber of the Red Lodge Police Department. During the stop the driver was unable or unwilling to produce a drivers license or other form of identification. He claimed to be Jeremiah Johnson. Further investigation resulted in numerous charges in addition to the traffic violations including drug and firearms charges. He was taken into custody without incident.
After transporting the arrestee’s to the Yellowstone County Detention Facility, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch and RLPD spent most of the night calling out-of-state agencies and chasing leads to uncover the arrestee’s true identity. He was finally identified as Levi Kade Nelson, 36, a fugitive wanted by the George County Sheriff’s Office in Mississippi for theft of a motor vehicle as well as the Mississippi Department of Corrections for being a fugitive from justice and at least one other jurisdiction on undisclosed charges. Mississippi law enforcement has stated that Nelson is believed to be responsible for vehicle thefts worth approximately $300,000.
A quick internet search shows that Nelson has a long history of arrests that would have driven a less determined man to choose endeavors for which he is better suited. In 2014, Nelson was charged with grand larceny. In 2015, Nelson was wanted for receiving stolen property in Jackson County, Mississippi. The charges stemmed from a stolen vehicle out of Mobile, Alabama. Investigators said the owner of the vehicle is a relative of Nelson. In 2016, he was arrested in Gautier, Mississippi for vehicle theft. He was arrested in Biloxi for auto theft in 2018 and again in 2019.
Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers thanked Red Lodge Police Department for the apprehension.
Charges are only allegations and everyone is presumed innocent unless and until they are found guilty in a court of law.