Traffic stop in Ceres leads to arrest, discovery of ghost guns and drugs
A routine traffic stop in Ceres last week led to the arrest of a Modesto man and the seizure of a firearm without a serial number, suspected drugs and paraphernalia, police said.
Just before 9 a.m. July 11, Ceres police Officer Charles Lord-Huff was on patrol in the 1700 block of Crows Landing Road when he stopped a brown 2001 Honda Odyssey for expired registration tags, according a Ceres Police Department social media post.
The driver, identified as Robert Smith, 45, of Modesto, was found to be on active searchable probation. During a probation compliance check, Officer Lord-Huff discovered an illegal controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, and an unserialized “ghost gun,” police said.
Further investigation determined that Smith is legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
He was arrested without incident and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center.
This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 11:37 AM.
