An Austin man allegedly caught with a stash of meth after a normal traffic stop pleaded not guilty to several charges Thursday in Mower County Court.

Jared Thomas Freese, 31, of Austin, pleaded not guilty to felonies for second-degree drug sale of more than 3 grams of meth and third-degree drug possession of more than 3 grams of meth, among misdemeanor charges for fourth-degree controlled substance DWI and driving after revocation.

An officer stopped Freese for not wearing a seatbelt and noticed him reaching to the other side of the vehicle. The officer later discovered Freese’s license is revoked and he had a felony warrant for a weapons offense. The officer also said he saw Freese try to eat something quickly.

An officer and K-9 later searched the vehicle and found baggies, one with 2.5 grams of meth. One of the baggies appeared as if the corner were bitten off. Officers also found 1.5 grams of meth on Freese at the jail, the court complaint adds.

Freese has a pretrial set for May 24.