
The incident took place around noon on September 17th, when a Smith County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a white Kia Soul near the 258 exit after noticing the driver, later identified as Nicholas Szpilman, was not wearing his seatbelt. The vehicle continued for a short distance before pulling into an Exxon gas station, where the deputy approached Szpilman.
During questioning, Szpilman admitted to not wearing his seatbelt and acknowledged the reason for the stop. He mentioned that the car was a rental in a friend’s name. However, the officer observed Szpilman showing signs of nervousness throughout the interaction.
After Szpilman consented to a search of the vehicle, the officer discovered approximately 2 grams of methamphetamine in Szpilman’s wallet, along with a pink snorter for ingesting the drug. Additionally, a revolver was found in the center console, which Szpilman had previously disclosed.
Szpilman also admitted to using meth before leaving Texas, which raised concerns since his 19-month-old son was present in the vehicle at the time of the stop.
Szpilman was taken into custody and transported to the Smith County Jail for processing. His son was placed in the custody of the Department of Children’s Services (DCS). Later that day, DCS caseworkers became worried about the child’s behavior and took him to the emergency room for evaluation.
The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of the law.