Redding traffic stop leads to local felon’s arrest

REDDING, Calif., — Authorities say a Redding traffic stop led to the arrest of a convicted felon who was found to be in possession of a loaded handgun, ammunition, and a methamphetamine smoking pipe Sunday, Dec. 26.

Officials say the man was also in possession of what is suspected to be a realistic-looking, but presumably fake, CIA badge and handcuffs.

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Redding Police Sergeant Gary Meadows has reported that Sunday’s arrest happened after an officer conducted a traffic enforcement stop for an unspecified vehicle code violation.

The driver, Brandon Danial Cozart, 42, of Redding, was contacted and admitted to being a convicted felon and he was found to have been driving with a suspended license.

Brandon Cozart of Redding was arrested after a traffic stop uncovered a loaded handgun, ammunition, and a methamphetamine smoking pipe. Redding PD photos

During a subsequent search of Cozart’s vehicle, officers discovered a semi-automatic handgun, ammunition, and a meth pipe.

Officers also found an apparent CIA badge and handcuffs inside Cozart’s vehicle.

“The CIA badge is likely fake but yet to be confirmed,” said Meadows.

Based on their investigation, officers arrested Cozart and he was booked into the Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of being a drug-addicted felon in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $10,000 bail or bond.

Anyone with further information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Redding Police Department at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R083882 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.