A Minot man has been sentenced to serve 20 days in the Ward County Jail after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C felony.

The charge against Sylvester Tyron Jackson, 43, Minot, stemmed from a traffic stop on Aug. 6, 2023, by the Burlington Police Department. Burlington Police pulled the white Jeep Jackson was riding in after it was determined the vehicle’s registration had expired and the driver’s license was suspended. According to court documents, Jackson was known to the officer, who arrested both Jackson and the driver after it was determined that Jackson had multiple active warrants in Ward County and Minot.

The affidavit of probable cause indicated a free air sniff test by K9 Baxi resulted in a positive K9 alert, leading to a search of the vehicle and the discovery of a used needle with residue and a pipe with residue on the inside.

Jackson appeared before North Central District Court Judge Richard Hagar on March 20 to enter his change of plea. Hagar sentenced Jackson to first serve 20 days of 360 days in the Ward County Jail, with credit for 20 days already served. Hagar ordered Jackson to complete two years of supervised probation and complete a chemical dependency evaluation. The felony charge against Jackson was deemed a misdemeanor, pending his completion of and compliance with the terms of his probation.

Jackson was also assessed $1,100 in court fines and fees.