A 64-year-old man was arrested on drug charges after a Chattooga County deputy encountered him on the property of a local thrift store during the early morning hours.

According to a report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office, Jimmy Reese Cooper, 64, was arrested shortly after 1:40 AM on September 16 after a deputy on routine patrol checked the property of Providence Ministries Thrift Store.

The deputy reported seeing a white male walking from the dumpster toward a vehicle. Cooper reportedly told the deputy he had been looking in the dumpster for empty boxes. The report states that “No Trespassing” signs were posted on the property and that Cooper was advised he did not have permission to be in the dumpster or remove items.

According to the report, the deputy noticed Cooper appeared nervous and displayed behavior the deputy believed was consistent with stimulant use.

During the encounter, Cooper was asked whether he had anything illegal in his possession. The report says Cooper denied having anything but then reached toward his left pocket. The deputy stopped him and subsequently recovered a small cylindrical container containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine.

The report says a cigarette pack Cooper had placed on the hood of his vehicle also contained a clear plastic bag holding a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine. Deputies also recovered a blue oval-shaped tablet that was identified as alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, a Schedule IV controlled substance.

The report states Cooper told an officer there were approximately two grams of suspected methamphetamine in the bag.

Cooper was arrested and transported to the Chattooga County Jail. He was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of a Schedule IV drug, and loitering and prowling.