UNION TOWNSHIP — A Mason man was arrested early Sunday after a traffic stop on Interstate 275 led to the discovery of a loaded handgun in his vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed in Clermont County Municipal Court.
Thomas Ray Cox, was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fifth-degree felony under Ohio Revised Code Section 2923.16D1.
According to an affidavit filed by Trooper A.H. McVay of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a trooper was conducting stationary patrol on I-275 near milepost 61 in Union Township at approximately 5:26 p.m. Sunday when he clocked a white Ford F-150 traveling 78 mph in a 65-mph zone using LIDAR.
Shortly after, the Patrol Post received a call reporting the same vehicle driving at a high rate of speed and unable to maintain its lane. The trooper caught up to the truck and initiated a traffic stop.
Upon contact with Cox, the trooper observed indicators of impairment including bloodshot, watery eyes and a strong odor, the affidavit states. Cox admitted to having a firearm in the passenger seat.
Standardized field sobriety tests were administered and Cox was arrested for OVI, according to the complaint. A search of the vehicle turned up a loaded 9mm Ruger handgun on the front driver-side door panel.
A breath test administered at the Batavia Post registered a 0.228% blood-alcohol content, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08%, the affidavit states. Cox was also asked to submit to a breath and urine test.
A child was located in the vehicle and was released to the child’s mother, who responded to the scene.
Cox was arrested and charged with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, using weapons while intoxicated, OVI, and endangering children. He was incarcerated at the Clermont County Jail, court records show. The case is filed as No. 2026 CRA 555 in Clermont County Municipal Court.