LEAGUE CITY — A traffic stop in the early morning hours of July 18 led to the arrest of a wanted sex offender who had been on the run since 2018, according to a press release from the League City Police Department.

At approximately 12:30 a.m., a League City Police K9 officer stopped a black Dodge Charger with expired registration in the 1700 block of W FM 646. The driver, who appeared visibly nervous, failed to provide a valid state ID and instead gave officers a name and date of birth that did not match any known records.

During the investigation, officers discovered drug paraphernalia and an out-of-state driver’s license bearing a different name than the one the driver initially gave. Authorities were ultimately able to identify the man as 38-year-old David Golson of Dickinson, a registered sex offender who had absconded seven years ago and failed to comply with his lifetime registration requirements.

Golson was taken into custody without incident. While being booked, he reportedly told officers that he had been evading law enforcement since 2018 and had purchased the fake ID at a flea market.

Golson now faces multiple charges, including Failure to Comply with Sex Offender Registration – Life/Annually (bond set at $100,000) and Failure to Identify as a Fugitive with Intent to Give False Information (bond set at $2,500). In addition to those charges, he had an active warrant from Harris County for Terroristic Threat, as well as a federal warrant issued by the U.S. Marshals Service for Probation Violation – Transport Interstate for Sexual Activity.

Golson remains in custody as the investigation continues.