Gun, drugs and fake money found during Columbus traffic stop

Columbus police recovered a stolen handgun, drugs and counterfeit money during an early Sunday morning traffic stop.

Police report that they stopped a vehicle that appeared to have a false registration near 17th Street and Cottage Avenue at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning and noticed the smell of marijuana inside the vehicle. A passenger, 27-year-old Terrence A. Tatum, allegedly admitted to smoking the pot.

A search of the vehicle recovered Tatum’s backpack, which contained the handun, reported stolen from Bartholomew County earlier this year, as well as heroin and methamphetamine and the counterfeit money.

Tatum is facing charges for possession of the drugs, theft of a firearm, carrying a handgun without a license, and counterfeiting.