November 14, 2025 – Sonora Police Department officials report that on Friday, November 7th, just before 8:00 p.m., the Sonora Police Department K9 unit conducted a traffic stop on a Ford Flex towing a trailer for multiple equipment violations. Officers determined that the license plate was assigned to a Nissan and identified the driver as 63-year-old Carl E. Gustafson of Tuolumne City.

K9 Ridge conducted a narcotic sniff of the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle uncovered 1.17 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a suspected narcotics pipe. K9 Ridge’s alert played a key role in helping officers safely locate the suspected narcotics.

Gustafson was arrested and transported to the Tuolumne County Jail, where he was booked for displaying a false license plate, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance with two or more priors, which is a felony enhancement under Proposition 36 that allows certain drug possession charges with prior convictions to be charged as felonies.

It’s important to remember that the individuals mentioned in this report were arrested based on suspicion of the crimes they’ve been charged with. All such charges are mere allegations, and all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Source: Sonora Police Department